CAMPHILL PROFILES
Meet some of the fantastic people who make up Camphill
Jojo Dzeiski
Jojo is the pottery teacher at Triform Camphill Community, our youth guidance program. In the summer, she is a counselor at Camp Omi, the day camp at Art Omi Sculpture and Architecture Park.
Upon receiving her bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts and French from SUNY New Paltz, Jojo headed to France to teach English for a year. But she wanted to do something in the arts (she’s a ceramicist) and found Camphill through Americorps. She spent two years volunteering at Triform; during her second year, she became a co-leader of the Pottery studio, where she found a wonderful mentor in Reid, who ran Triform’s Pottery for over a decade.
“Reid was a big influence; he had a great sense of humor, was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. Many of his studio techniques sprang up in my later studies to become an Arts Teacher: I learned some serious practical skills on how to modify and accommodate a lesson plan which gave me a leg up when returning to school.”
After volunteering, she returned to SUNY New Paltz for her certification in K-12 Arts Education. Throughout her studies, she continued teaching afternoon classes at Triform a few hours a week. Her plan after school was to get a job that allowed her time for her own artistic practice, but she was torn between two separate paths: being a Teaching Artist or being an Art Teacher. But serendipity stepped in: Reid was retiring, so she jumped at the opportunity to be his successor.
“I get to work every day as a teaching artist and work for an organization that supports my skillset as an artist, teacher, and organizer. In other jobs, you sometimes run into a wall with people who are inflexible. But Camphill creates a fluid community space. The teaching I do here at Triform informs my process as an artist. I learn from and am inspired by the creativity and inventiveness of the people I work with.”
Jojo is deeply grateful to remain part of such a close-knit community.
OTHER RAD CAMPHILLERS
Brittany Archer
Nicolo Betoni
Gabi Branche
Sumin Dai
