Amanda received a Bachelors of Art in Anthropology and a Bachelors of Art in Studio Art from Central Washington University. She then went on to pursue Post-Baccalaureate study at the University of Montana. After post-bacc study Amanda completed a long term residency at The Morean Center for Clay in Saint Petersburg, Florida. She is currently in her second long term residency position at Belger Crane Yard Studios in Kansas City, Missouri. Amanda regularly exhibits in invitational and national juried exhibitions. Her work is held in both public and private collections worldwide. Amanda and her partner Seth Charles also co-operate a small wood-fired kiln design and construction venture. I rely on the central role of utilitarian objects as vehicles for nourishment. My practice utilizes the inherent and central role of pottery as a physical conduit for daily contact with sustenance. I make work for the purposes of harvesting, preparing, serving and storing food. I draw from a conceptual framework grounded in my study of cultural anthropology and focus on the web of complex intersections between culture, ethics, commerce, history, rituals, community, and environment that our sustenance is tied to. This intricate web of systems serves as inspiration for broad conceptual ideas, formal decisions, and approaches to surface.