A joint exhibition by 2025–26 artists-in-residence Ava Tesoriero and Jess Levin, featuring work that invites viewers to reflect on the way we take root, evolve, and flourish over time. Both artists explore themes of connection, transformation, and the beauty of the unknown.

About the Artists:

Ava Tesoriero is a ceramic artist from Chatham, New Jersey. She earned a B.S. in Studio Art with a concentration in ceramics from Skidmore College, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2025. Tesoriero is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Saratoga Clay Arts Center, where she continues to explore the intricacies of the bottleneck form. The small, narrow opening of her vessels adds an element of curiosity by drawing the viewer in closer and encouraging thoughts of the unseen, the hidden, and the possibilities that lie within.

Jess Levin is a New York based ceramic sculpture artist. They received a BFA in Sculpture in 2022 from SUNY Purchase in Westchester, NY. They worked as an artist-in-residence at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, New York, from 2022-2024, and are currently a second year artist-in-residence at the Saratoga Clay Arts Center in Schuylerville, New York.

They often juxtapose the cold and harsh nature ceramics typically carries with the soft and
friendly connotation of fairies, mermaids, and other subjects found in the mind of a child. The playful and cartoonish characters they create bring to life a narrative of queer self-exploration and expression.