Kate Arford is a ceramic artist born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Kate started working with clay in 2016, and received her BFA from Arizona State University in 2025.
Kate draws inspiration from poems and children’s toys where she develops a whimsical and introspective world to provide commentary on escapism and dreaming.
Alongside her studio practice, she serves as a Program and Teaching Artist for various Ceramic Facilities; such as, Ceramic Research Center, Pip Coffee & Clay and Edna Vihel Arts Center.
Artist Statement
Dreaming was a primary form of play for me as a child, an escape into a world where I could show up and engage without the burdens of anxiety. My dream world wasn’t one filled with fairies and dragons; instead, it was a space for freedom and possibilities. In my work, I create abstract objects that are reminiscent of toys and otherworldly forms, embodying a journey of nostalgia, loss, and whimsical exploration.
These pieces serve to invite a dialogue between fantasy and reality, to exist in the nuance. Through this commentary, I reflect on the complexity of life’s experiences. My creative process empowers me to indulge in new worlds, allowing my dreams to exist for tangible moments outside my mind. I invite you to step into this imaginative space, to reflect on your own experiences, and to embrace the fleeting nature of these moments.
CV
Kate Arford
info@kate-arford.com
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EDUCATION
2025
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Ceramics), Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
Certificate of Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Design and the Arts
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2025
Program Artist, Creative Aging & Community Workshops, ASU Art
Museum- Ceramic Research Center, Tempe, AZ, September- current
Ceramics Teaching Artist, Edna Vihel Arts Center, Tempe, AZ, January- current
Ceramics Teaching Artist, Pip Coffee & Clay, Phoenix, AZ, May (23’)- current
Curatorial Assistant, Form Space Vision, Scottsdale, AZ, August (24’)- July (25’)
2024
Public Art Intern, Scottsdale Arts, Scottsdale, Arizona, May-August
2022
Handbuilding Teaching Artist, Kittles Fine Arts Supplies, Show Low, May-July
EXHIBITIONS
–GROUP–
2025
Ephemeral: Where Memory Shifts, Gallery 100, Tempe, Az, April
Affirmations, Walter Where? House, Phoenix, Az, January-June
2024
Neon Baton, Neon Club, Private House, Paradise Valley, Az, December
Chamber Series, Neon Club, Ice House, Phoenix, Az, March
Clay Club, Display case, Art Building, Arizona State University, February
2023
Tree of Life, Cosanti, Paradise Valley, May-June
2022
Carne Diem, Gallery 100, Arizona State University, December
Objects en Feu, Danelle Plaza, Tempe AZ, December
Identities through Wood, Art Building, Arizona State University, May
AWARDS, EXTRACURRICULARS
2024
Arts in the Park, Tempe City Arts
President, Clay Club at ASU, Arizona State University
Making It as an Artist: Real-World Advice for College Students, Panel talk,
Tempe, Arizona, November
2023
Vice President, Clay Club at ASU, Arizona State University
Volunteer, Ceramics Research Center, Tempe, Arizona
2020
1st Place Wheel, Deer Valley Art Show
BIBLIOGRAPHY/PUBLICATIONS
2022
Nguyen, Madeline, The State Press Magazine, Passion Over Pay: challenging
the starving artist stereotype, Nov 7 2022