Staff
Meet the staff at the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum.
Benjamin Evans has 25 years of experience as a curator and arts administrator. He has been involved with many non-profit arts organizations throughout his career, including as the director of two well-respected galleries, one in St. John’s, Newfoundland and one in Brooklyn, New York. He launched his own curatorial project “Projective City” while living in Paris, creating pop-up exhibitions in unused commercial spaces and a long-term collaborative project with Mixed Greens Gallery in New York City. Most recently Evans was the Communications Director at the International Academy of Ceramics, a member-driven organization in partnership with UNESCO, whose goal is to foster international cooperation through a shared interest in ceramics. He holds five degrees, including an MFA from the University of Calgary and a PhD in Philosophy from the New School of Social Research. His current interests include the concept of play, and postcolonial strategies in the arts.
Susan Kowalczyk
Curator of Collections and Director of Research
Susan Kowalczyk is responsible for all aspects involving the museum’s collection including care and preservation, documentation, handling and movement, photography, loans and public interface. Susan was hired through a national search as the first registrar of the museum in 1996. During her tenure she has worn many hats and has facilitated or curated 36 exhibitions, produced 25 Ceramophile newsletters and three museum catalogs. She has held positions at the Rockwell Museum in Corning, New York and the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History at the University of Oklahoma. Her education includes a BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and an MFA from Wichita State University. She has taught ceramics, design and foundations courses at the university level, managed a community ceramics studio and maintained a home studio and business. Her own work has been exhibited nationally.
Ellie Gamble
Operations Manager and Preparator
Ellie Gamble hails from Kansas City, Missouri and received her BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2023, with a focus on both ceramics and printmaking. She accepted the position of Operations Manager & Preparator at the Alfred Ceramics Art Museum in 2024 and is passionate about being the bridge between art and business. She completed her MBA from Alfred University in 2025 with the goal of supporting non-profit management for the Arts. She continues to find new ways to make art in the form of zines, horticulture, and cooking.