Dan Schmitt went to college intending to become a biologist. In his junior year, however, he studied ceramics in Japan, and after graduating in 1996 he began a master’s program in fine arts at Kent State University. To emphasize the handmade quality of his work, the artist often leaves ridges and other variations on the sides of his pots. Schmitt hopes through his work to reestablish the importance of handmade pottery over factory-produced dishes.