Artist Spotlight: March, 2026

Alex Pope

Best in Show Winner, Duxbury Art Association Winter Juried Show 2026

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I am originally from Philadelphia.  I received a degree from Skidmore College in Studio Art, and spent a year at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, participating in a Ceramic Residency program. I received a Masters in Teaching from the University of New Hampshire. I have been teaching Art for twenty five years at Hollis Upper Elementary School, in Hollis New Hampshire. I live in Peterborough, New Hampshire.

When did you know you were an artist?

I have always identified as an artist. I do not remember a time when I was not creating. The fact that I like to make things is central to how I define myself, and always has been.

Was there a pivotal moment for you? 

Although I have always been an artist, I have not always worked in the Arts. An important moment for me as an artist came when I decided to become an art educator. Suddenly, the majority of my professional life was focussed on the subject matter that interested me most.  Of course, as a teacher you are not always working on developing your own art. So, another important moment for me has arrived quite recently. The youngest of my four children has gone away to college. I find that I have had the time to devote myself to a much more focused pursuit of my own work. I am making more and showing more than I ever have.

Where do you find inspiration?

My work almost always reflects my fascination with the natural world. It may refer to the tiniest microscopic structure, or to a massive celestial event–often in the same piece. I find inspiration in plants and animals, bones, shells and seeds, as well as the path of a river, or the spiral of a galaxy. I am interested in the way that things grow and decompose. I also notice how all things, large and small, are governed by the laws of nature and physics.

Another source of inspiration is the community of young artists with which I work.  My students inspire me. Every day I see new ways of making art- fresh lines on the page–a different way of making a mark–unique forms of self expression.

What is your favorite medium? 

I draw, I paint, I sculpt with wire and wood and paper mache, but the medium that I always seem to come back to is clay. The majority of the work that I exhibit and sell is ceramic. I have always loved clay.

Can you describe your process?

I usually begin a piece with a general idea about form, often inspired by some natural object or phenomena.  As the sculpture begins to take shape, I find myself improvising–reacting to what I have already built. I like to work on a few pieces at once, or in succession, and one piece tends to inform the next.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about your work?

I would like to create art that inspires hope.  I don’t always feel hopeful, but I’d like my art to be. Although my work is somewhat abstract, it is built to reflect the idea that all things are subject to the same natural forces, and maybe there is hope in that.

Read about other artists on the Meet the Artists page.