Performers

Recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council 2025 Maryland Traditions Heritage Award

For over three decades, Baltimore Clayworks has been shaped by the artistry and wisdom of Samuel Wallace, a Jamaican-born ceramicist who has preserved and shared traditional clay practices rooted in his homeland’s St. Elizabeth Parish—one of Jamaica’s oldest regions. There, Wallace first learned to “become the wheel,” hand-coiling clay into vessels under the guidance of his cousin, using earth-sourced materials and centuries-old techniques passed through generations.

After moving to Baltimore in the early 1990s, Wallace began gathering local clay and mentoring students through a program called From the Ground Up, where participants sourced, processed, and fired natural clay bodies. His joyful and mindful approach to teaching—described by students as therapeutic and meditative—has introduced hundreds each year to both wheel-throwing and Jamaican coil methods. His signature braided mug handles pay homage to the island’s natural beauty and personal memories, like braiding the hair of his nine daughters.

Wallace’s impact reaches across borders. He’s led exchanges to Jamaica, connecting students with the cultural significance of traditional pottery as a livelihood and expression of earth-based heritage. In turn, he brings technical knowledge and clay samples from Baltimore back to help support potters on the island.

A master teacher and ecological innovator, Wallace remains devoted to sustainable practices and continues to explore Maryland’s natural clay deposits—building vessels that tell stories of place, tradition, and connection. His legacy is felt in the hands of every student he’s mentored, and in every vessel that begins with the earth.

This year, Samuel Wallace was one of 6 artists who received the prestigious 2025 Maryland Traditions Heritage Award from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC). This distinguished honor recognizes Wallace’s dedication to maintaining and innovating Jamaican pottery traditions for over 30 years, as well as his impact on students and ceramic artists across