Molly Rivera ( She/her )

My work is an exploration of memory, place, and connection. Much of my imagery comes from the rhythms of daily life and the natural world around me. I'm inspired by our intrinsic connection to land - both physical and spiritual - and the reciprocal relationships we maintain with the natural world. Recently, the experience of motherhood has become a guiding thread in my work. It has prompted me to reflect on the instinct to nurture - not only our children and families, but also our communities and the earth itself. This sense of care and stewardship, of tending to what sustains us, resonates deeply in my practice. To create vessels that hold, nurture, and bring people together is a way to offer both physical and emotional nourishment. As the objects I create become part of people’s lives, they absorb memory through repeated touch and use. My work then becomes both an offering and an invitation to remember, connect, and nurture.

-- Molly Rivera

Molly Rivera is a ceramic artist living and working in Hastings, MN. She received her BFA in sculpture and ceramics at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2017 and received her MFA from the University of Montana in 2020. She has instructed community classes at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was the instructor for several courses at the University of Montana. Her work has been exhibited nationally and is part of permanent collections at the Tweed Museum of Art and the Montana Museum of Art and Culture. Currently, Molly is the Lead Coordinator at the Red Wing Arts Clay & Creative Center and makes work out of her studio in Hastings, MN.