Shaping clay and creative minds
A passion for ceramics and a global sabbatical are helping Jarred Pfeiffer inspire the next generation of artists
Jarred Pfeiffer, associate professor of art at UWL, combines a passion for teaching and a lifelong curiosity about ceramics to help students discover their creative potential.
Posted 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026
Since 2019, Jarred Pfeiffer has inspired UW-La Crosse art students through his enthusiasm for ceramics and his dedication to helping young artists grow.
Pfeiffer’s passion for his craft is matched by the high expectations he sets in the classroom, where students consistently rise to the challenge and discover their own creative potential. That impact earned Pfeiffer a UWL Eagle Teaching Excellence Award last spring — a testament to the connection and creativity he brings to the classroom.
Now, Pfeiffer is channeling that passion into a sabbatical that has taken him to artist residencies across the United States and Europe. We caught up with him to discuss his research, his journey into ceramics and the deep connection he feels to UWL.
Q: What do you most enjoy about teaching?
A: There are countless aspects of teaching that I find deeply rewarding. Working with clay, in particular, presents a steep learning curve, especially for beginners. What I value most about teaching ceramics is witnessing the transformation that occurs when students commit time and effort to the process of progress. It’s especially meaningful to see those who initially struggle — such as with centering on the wheel in the introductory course — continue on to intermediate and advanced levels, where they gain confidence, develop their own voice and make remarkable improvements.
Q: You’ve stepped away from the classroom this year to go on sabbatical. How are you spending this time?
A: During my year-long sabbatical, I am participating in several national and international artist residencies. In September, I spent five weeks making work and researching French ceramics at A.I.R. Vallauris in Vallauris, France, the town where Picasso created much of his ceramic work.
Currently, I am serving as the Visiting Artist in Residence at San Diego State University. While at SDSU, I am continuing sculptural projects that I began in France, demonstrating to their classes and leading a firing of the university's soda kiln with advanced ceramics students.
In February, my family and I will head to Anderson Ranch in Snowmass Village, Colorado, for a five-week residency. There, I will experiment with the studio's 3D clay printer, combining wheel-thrown and hand-built forms with 3D-printed elements. The work will ultimately be fired in one of Anderson Ranch's wood kilns.
Following that residency, I will spend six weeks at the renowned Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark. While there, I will create both sculptural and functional work with a focus on wood firing, utilizing several of the center's six wood-fired kilns.
Q: What do you appreciate about the opportunity to step back from teaching and focus on research this year? How has the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities supported your efforts?
A: I love teaching, but after 18 years in the classroom, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to spend a year focused on my own creative work and research. This sabbatical has provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in residencies that would have been difficult, if not impossible, to pursue while following an academic calendar.
What excites me most is the opportunity to bring everything I learn back to UWL and share those experiences with my students.
CASSH has been extremely supportive throughout this process. I benefited from examples of successful sabbatical applications, strong support from my department and department chair, and grant funding that has helped make many of these opportunities possible.
Q: Your father was a high school ceramics teacher. How did that help spark your own interest and career path in art?
A: My father graduated from UWL with a degree in art education. He discovered clay here, and I love that I now have the opportunity to spark that same joy in others at UWL.
Growing up, art was always a part of our lives. When friends came over to play, we often spent time in my dad's studio working with clay. Ceramics was something I loved, but I never considered it a possible career path. It was simply a part of who I was.
I initially attended UW-Madison as an engineering student, but I struggled with my math and science courses for the first time. At the same time, I continued taking ceramics classes just for fun. After changing my major three times and feeling increasingly uncertain about my direction, a friend asked me what I could see myself waking up and doing every day. My immediate response was, "I could see myself waking up and making pots every day." She replied, "Congratulations. You're an art major."
I changed my major to art and never looked back.
Q: What is it about ceramics that you particularly enjoy?
A: I could write a book in response to this question.
I love clay as a material, the countless processes used to transform it, and the community that surrounds it. More than anything, though, I am inspired by the incredible potential of clay. It exists virtually everywhere on Earth and is a material humans have worked with for tens of thousands of years.
Clay can become a porcelain teapot, an earthenware tile, a sculptural figure or almost anything else imaginable. Its possibilities are nearly limitless. If I had to choose one thing that excites me most about ceramics, it would be that sense of endless potential.
Q: What are some of your interests outside of art and teaching?
A: I love spending time with my wife, Erika, and our two-year-old son, Leo. I've always wanted to be a father, and it has been a joy watching Leo experience life's milestones and discover the world around him.
I also love to travel. My parents instilled in me a curiosity about other places, cultures and perspectives, and that sense of exploration continues to shape my life today.
I'm a dedicated Wisconsin sports fan and enjoy following the Packers, Badgers, Brewers and Bucks. I also love fantasy football and have served as commissioner of our home league for the past 16 years.
When possible, I enjoy being outdoors, whether that's hiking, playing disc golf or spending time on the water. But if I'm being honest, my favorite place to be is in the studio making work.
Q: What do you enjoy about the teaching and learning environment at UWL?
A: UWL is a wonderful place to teach and create. I am grateful to be part of a community filled with talented colleagues who are passionate about both teaching and their own creative work. I look forward to seeing them in the art building, at campus events and throughout the community.
The university administration has also been incredibly supportive of the Art Department and ceramics area, helping us build facilities and resources that are competitive with programs anywhere in the country. During my time at UWL, I have secured more than $100,000 in new and replacement equipment with support from the Dean's Office and Provost's Office.
Most of all, I enjoy working with our students. I hold high expectations in the ceramics program, and our students consistently rise to the challenge. Watching students progress from their first experience with clay to the sophisticated work they create in their third and fourth semesters is incredibly rewarding.
I especially enjoy seeing students continue their creative practice after graduation. Many of our students become art educators, and it is exciting to know they will go on to inspire the next generation of artists.
