Meet our team.

FOUNDER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Canadian artist Jessica Potenza paints and sculpts the horse as muse and metaphor, exploring the spaces where intuition meet emotion—while her ceramics reflect the same quiet attention to form and feeling.

After a lifelong career in the equine industry, Jessica went on to build a second career as a painter, with her work collected internationally across Asia, the UK, Europe, and North America.

In 2023, she founded Sprouts—Gather’s youth enrichment program—what began as a small, nurturing initiative quickly grew into the larger vision that is now Gather.

Rooted in a desire to uplift local makers and bring people together, her work is centered—pun intended—on creating an inspiring and grounding third space for the community, one that fosters connection, creativity, and a shared love of literature.

View Portfolio

BOOKSHOP DIRECTOR

Sara Gulotta is the Bookshop Director at Gather, where she brings a thoughtful, systems-driven approach shaped by her background in technology. A graduate of Cornell University, she worked as a software engineer at both BuzzFeed and Etsy, developing a strong foundation in building scalable systems and user-centered experiences.

A devoted reader with a deep love for speculative fiction, Sara is especially drawn to immersive science fiction and fantasy—stories rich in character development and world-building that stretch the imagination and explore new possibilities.

A pillar in Gather’s development, Sara has helped guide the project from concept to full realization. Her passion, clarity, and dedication have been instrumental in creating a space that is both intentional and inspiring—rooted in community, creativity, and a shared love of books.

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT LEAD & MUD MENTOR

New York–based multidisciplinary artist and maker Erica Ianuzzi creates work that embodies presence, curiosity, and quiet grounding. With a focus in handbuilding, her pieces carry an earthy sensitivity—gentle yet deeply rooted in the tactile language of making.

Erica is beloved within the Gather community, where she has spearheaded the Sprouts youth enrichment program for ages 6 months to 5 years for the past three years—bringing warmth, creativity, and care to our youngest members and their families.

In addition to her role as Creative Director for Gather’s market & art café, Erica leads handbuilding classes at Gather.

DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & REALIZATION

Abigail Coover Hume, founder and director of Overlay Office has been building as an architectural designer and project manager in New York City, San Francisco and beyond for over 18 years.

Abigail received her Masters of Architecture from Yale. Her work and writings have been published in the New York Times, Wired, Metropolis, Tarp, and Project and exhibited at The Druker Gallery, the A+D Museum, the Yale Architecture Gallery, One Night Stand, and the New York Center for Architecture. Along with Nathan Hume, Abigail is also a partner at HumeCoover Studio and co-creator and editor of suckerPUNCHdaily.com, a website that reviews the work of contemporary artists, architects, and designers who offer the stunningly unexpected. Abigail has previously taught architectural design as a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and as a critic at the Yale School of Architecture. She currently teaches studios at the Pratt Institute.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & WRITING MENTOR

Laura Howe is a writer and creative practitioner whose work lives at the intersection of literary and visual art. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Sarah Lawrence College, where her focus on storytelling is complemented by a longstanding love of tactile, hands-on making.

Laura brings nearly a decade of experience in coffee and hospitality, having worked both on the floor and in management roles. She is known for her calm, organized approach, strong communication, and ability to create welcoming, thoughtfully run spaces. Alongside her writing, she has explored visual mediums including glassblowing and design, and is especially drawn to practices that engage both material and narrative.

At Gather, Laura supports daily operations and customer experience while also leading creative workshops that invite participants to explore the connections between writing, making, and process.

MUD MENTOR & GLAZE GURU
Adrianna Gardini is a severely artistic person raised in the hills of Santa Fe, NM.  She enjoys getting her hands as dirty as possible with clay, paint, glue and soil.  Adrianna studied fine arts at UNM, where she helped build an anagama kiln in Madrid, NM. She continued her studies with jewelry design at FIT.  She peddled her wares to stores in New York City, including Choplet Ceramics Studios, where she became a member and teacher.  She designs, fabricates and installs window displays for clients including, Alex Mill, Riverrock Music School, DKNY, and Loft.  She now resides in Hastings on Hudson with her family and cats.    

On this journey, Adrianna’s entire wardrobe has been transformed by paint… gladly.

MUD MENTOR

Kim White is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice centers on painting, sculpture, and ceramics, with a particular focus on handbuilt figurative work. She began working with clay during her BFA in Studio Art at the University of Michigan and further developed her skills as an MFA candidate at the New York Academy of Art, where she trained in traditional figurative techniques, including anatomy, proportion, and observational modeling. She later worked as an artisan in Jeff Koons’ studio, contributing to sculptures in his Celebration series. 

Her work has been exhibited in New York at galleries including A Space, Pen + Brush, and Field Projects. Across media, she brings a thoughtful, exploratory approach that combines technical rigor with a strong sensitivity to material, emphasizing both craftsmanship and conceptual depth.

MUD MENTOR

Kate Poland Hetman is a dedicated ceramic artist and educator with over three decades of teaching experience. She has taught high school ceramics for 21 years, specializing in handbuilding, and has spent 30 years teaching wheel-throwing to students of all ages—from pre-K through adults—bringing a rare depth of experience across developmental stages and skill levels.

Kate currently teaches high school and adult ceramics classes in Rockland and Bergen counties, where she is known for her thoughtful instruction, strong technical foundation, and ability to meet each student where they are. She works out of the studios at the Clay Art Center and serves as Membership Coordinator for Hudson River Potters, actively supporting and strengthening the regional ceramics community.

Kate will be part of the team leading the summer semester and Clay Camp at Gather, where she brings her warmth, expertise, and enthusiasm to inspire the next generation of young makers through hands-on exploration and creative play.

MUD MENTOR

Giselle Reiter is a ceramicist whose work reflects a thoughtful balance between the calm rhythms of her Peruvian heritage and the vibrant energy of New York. These influences come together in the forms she creates on the wheel, where movement and stillness coexist.

As a teacher, Giselle emphasizes building strong technical foundations within a warm and relaxed environment. Her classes are supportive, gently playful, and designed to help each student gain confidence, experiment freely, and develop their own creative voice.

Giselle teaches all levels wheel for Gather.

MUD MENTOR & GLAZE GURU

Ed Myder is an accomplished chef by day and a clay aficionado by night (or is it the other way around?)—splitting his time between the kitchen and the wheel. Working out of the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, Ed teaches intermediate to advanced throwing with a focus on tall forms like bottles and vases—the pieces every beginner thinks are impossible (until he shows you otherwise).

A true glaze enthusiast, he’s part of the team shaping Gather’s glaze menu. When he’s not teaching, experimenting, or hosting glaze seminars and raku firings, you’ll find him working in his shared studio space or encouraging students to embrace the long game: patience, practice, and passion.

MUD MENTOR

Eden R. Weisbond of Crestwood Clayworks is a ceramicist passionate about the art of clay. Educated in fine art at Syracuse University with further study at Parsons and SVA, she developed and refined her ceramics practice through local studios and collaborations.

Eden is part of the wonderful team leading beginner and intermediate wheel and handbuilding for Gather.

MUD MENTOR

While working as a professional scenic artist (painter) in the entertainment industry, Lourdes Aviles always fondly remembered a pottery class she took in college. Recently, she returned to the world of pottery, rediscovering the joy and creativity it brings. Each piece she creates reflects her passion for the craft, blending unique design with playful charm. Her goal is to craft pieces that stand out for their craftsmanship and bring a sense of fun. Whether for yourself or someone special, her work is meant to add something meaningful and joyful to everyday moments.

Lourdes leads classes in both wheel and handbuilding for Gather.

MUD MENTOR

Puerto Rican multidisciplinary artist Jani Maria Morales works across ceramics, wood, metal, and digital sculpture. Guided by craft and storytelling, her practice explores identity, memory, and material—shaping forms that hold ancestral knowledge and cultural resonance while engaging art as a means of connection, care, and preservation.

Jani leads classes in sculpture for Gather.

MUD MENTOR

Regina Nikishina is a Russian-born ceramicist and multidisciplinary artist passionate about guiding learners of all ages through the discovery of new mediums. Recently emigrating from Russia, she brings curiosity, skill, and creativity to every classroom and studio she engages with.

Known for her warm and patient teaching style, Regina works closely with each student to support their individual learning process. She has extensive experience working with children as well as adults, and is especially skilled at fostering a collaborative, encouraging atmosphere in the studio.