Nathalie Royston

Ceramics is, for me, a medium of direct contact - with the materials, with patience, with the act of letting go. Since the first moment I touched the clay, it felt like coming home. I knew this was work I had to commit myself to.    

That instinct toward making - toward understanding what it means to bring something into the world with your hands - shapes everything I do.

 

Artist  ·  Producer  ·  Collaborator

I'm an independent cultural producer and ceramic artist based on Cape Ann, Massachusetts. My practice moves between two bodies of work that inform each other: producing public art and cultural projects, and making ceramic objects - sculptural and functional - in my studio.

As a cultural producer, I originate and manage community-engaged projects, public art commissions, and cultural initiatives - working alongside artists, institutions, and communities from concept through installation. Recent projects include public art installations in Boston and cultural programming in New York, with budgets ranging from $5,000 to $70,000. My background includes over two decades of project management, stakeholder coordination, diversity and inclusion work, and arts education.

As a ceramic artist, I make objects that carry the mark of being made by hand, pieces that serve a purpose, hold a presence, and emerge from a genuine engagement with the material.

My path here was anything but linear. It began with a two-inch pot made as a pre-teen at summer camp — a lopsided, two-pound vessel I fell in love with immediately. After years working in human services and diversity and inclusion consulting across the arts and nonprofit sectors, I took my first ceramics course in the early 2000s. Touching that clay again felt like returning home.

I take on producing projects one at a time — which means the work gets my full attention. If you're developing a public art commission, cultural initiative, or community-engaged project in New England or beyond, I'd welcome a conversation.

 

 

Proud to partner with Nest to connect the people, artistry, and impact of handcraft to create a more equitable and beautiful world.