Vincent Tamplain Artist Bio

Vincent Tamplain grew up outside of New Orleans, playing in the swampy mud, cultural soup and the pervading southern lifestyle. During his childhood, he juggled athletics, academics, and the arts, founding Little Leaf Pottery and traveling to art shows annually while still in high school. A self-taught potter, he did not know that his hobby would turn into a career and a lifestyle.

Establishing a professional pottery practice gave Tamplain motivation to keep making and create purpose for his passion. After taking ceramics courses at the University of Denver, he decided to pursue formal art education. He transferred to Nicholls State University to get get guidance from a trusted program and staff. His next venture was a seven-show tour that circled the eastern United States, finishing in a standalone show, Little Leaf Pottery Party in New Orleans, Louisiana. On the tour, he drove through the small village of Alfred and knew that was where he needed to be.

Tamplain recieved a BFA at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He studied ceramics and practiced as a studio technician in depth, focusing on sculptural work while still making functional ware in his his practice. In his collegiate studies he learned crafts such as glassmaking, printmaking, 3D printing.

Tamplain is now working at Potsalot Pottery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tamplain is interested in making his work mobile and versatile by sourcing his materials from the landscape he calls home. The Gulf Coast is rich in clay and  mineral deposits often unscathed from industrial practices.