Up to her neck in clay, Dawne J Fowkes Cushing is a Studio Potter working at the Bell Arts Factory in Studio # 86. Born in Hawaii, she grew up in So Cal before relocating to Ventura in 1980.
Working predominately in high fire porcelain and white stoneware, Dawne is an adherent to the tradition of making her own clay and glazes. Her work focuses primarily on the utilitarian aspects of the table top. Visual and functional inspirations come from a love for cooking, the exploration of global cuisines, and the cultural customs that influence the ritual of meal service. Surface textures are derived from intentional “mark making”, with handmade tools created for this purpose. Textures and patterns are inspired by elements in the natural world, including life science, and the man-made worlds of architecture and symbolism.
Dawne earned a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Post grad, she spent a year in Finland as a Fulbright Fellow studying Industrial Design at TAIK/UIAH (Aalto University School of Art and Design). Concurrently she was also engaged as an Artist-in-Residence at Hackman/Arabia OY AB. In addition to ceramics, her artistic spirit lends itself to the creation of wearable art forms using fiber, metal, glass, stone and clay.
Fowkes Studios 
Initially inspired in the mid-1970’s by Dansk BLT dinnerware, Dawne is a studio potter working at the Bell Arts Factory complex located on the “Artsy” westside of San Buenaventura, California. Born in Hawaii, she grew up in So Cal before relocating to Ventura in 1980. Dawne has a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. After graduate school, she spent a year in Finland on a Fulbright Scholarship studying Design and manufacturing process’ of commercial ceramic ware. As a studio potter, she is an adherent to the tradition of making her own clay and glazes. When Dawne is not in her clay studio, she continues to put her energy into the creation of art for personal adornment.