Clay and Community in Burien: Meet Five Artists from Moshier Event

BURIEN, WA — Moshier Community Arts Center in Burien hosts two popular pottery sales each year, one in the spring and another during the winter holiday season. To learn more about the local artists behind the work, The Highline Journal attended the December 6, 2025 Holiday Pottery Sale, where City of Burien Recreation Supervisor Caroline Bobanick introduced us to five ceramic artists participating in the event.

This year’s sale marked a location change, moving from the Moshier studio to the Burien Community Center to allow for more space. Both artists and organizers said the new venue was a welcome upgrade, especially for its improved lighting. One artist shared that the space made the event feel more like a professional art studio.

Another annual Moshier-related event, Empty Bowls, takes place this Friday, Jan. 30, also at the Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Avenue SW. Participants purchase a handmade bowl created by Moshier artists and enjoy a soup meal, with proceeds benefiting local food banks. While it is not guaranteed attendees will receive a bowl from one of the featured artists, learning about their backgrounds and techniques adds to the experience.

Many of the artists we spoke with did not begin their careers working full time in ceramics, but instead found creative ways to blend their professional backgrounds with a passion for clay. Three currently teach adult ceramics at Moshier Pottery Arts Center, one is a Highline Middle School visual arts teacher, and another balances his work as a Moshier studio artist with running a graphic design business.

Several of the artists operate small businesses selling their ceramic work and were eager to share their stories.

Alice Kay Lee

Alice Kay Lee is a local ceramics artist, business owner, and adult ceramics instructor at Moshier Art Center. Her professional background includes degrees in art and secondary education, and she spent ten years teaching high school in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lee fell in love with pottery at age 12, but it was not until 2021 that she committed to working full time with ceramics. She is especially drawn to porcelain and enjoys pushing its limits, experimenting with forms so thin they become translucent when illuminated from within.

Her carved porcelain work results in remarkably lightweight stoneware, often surprising customers when they first pick up one of her mugs. Lee’s designs and techniques are influenced by her Asian heritage.

Her work, including handcrafted jewelry, can be found through her online business A Kurious Life at akuriouslife.com, or at her retail shop Rocks & Clay, located at 12311 Lake City Way.

Molly Hueffed

Molly Hueffed grew up near the ocean, a lifelong influence that clearly shapes her work. Her career began not in art, but in science. She previously worked as a molecular biologist at the University of Washington.

After taking a ceramics class, Hueffed discovered a love for working with her hands. Her pieces reflect both her scientific background and her connection to the sea through their color, texture, and form. She began working full time with ceramics in 1996 and has been teaching for 18 years, including adult ceramics classes at Moshier Arts Center.

Her work can be found at mollyhueffedart.com, on Instagram @MollyHueffed, and at locations throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Columbia City Gallery in Seattle.

Carolyn Bing

Carolyn Bing, a ceramics instructor at Moshier, began her career in graphic design. Now an independent artist, she works in both painting and ceramics.

Her playful porcelain characters, fan favorites like “Uppity Chicken” and “Bad Rabbit,” bring humor and personality to her vibrant collection. During the sale, one lucky Burien shopper even snapped up her sassy “yellow snow” snowman.

Bing also draws inspiration from nature, creating ceramic and painted landscapes and floral designs.

Her work can be viewed on Instagram at @thurberbing.

Daniel Del Riego

Daniel Del Riego is a visual arts teacher at Glacier Middle School and a volunteer at the Holiday Pottery Sale. Known for his contagious enthusiasm and holiday spirit, Del Riego showcased several ceramic pieces, including a whimsical favorite, “Penélope the Octopus,” a jewelry holder that quickly caught visitors’ attention.

He also proudly shared news of a Glacier Middle School art event highlighting student artwork, reflecting his commitment to arts education both inside and outside the classroom.

Corianton Hale

Corianton Hale was drawn to clay at an early age and found early success before stepping away to pursue other creative opportunities. After a 20-year career in graphic design and branding, he returned to ceramics in 2019 and is now a studio artist at Moshier.

During the sale, attendees admired details in his work, including pine needles woven into ceramic forms. Hale continues his professional design work while describing ceramics as a joyful counterbalance, his opportunity to get away from the computer screen.

His work can be found on Instagram @madebycorianton.

Learn More

For local residents interested in Moshier Art Studio, ceramics classes tend to fill quickly.

Registration information can be found here:
https://www.burienwa.gov/residents/parks_recreation_cultural_services/registration