Sydney makes visually appealing items that fill an unexpected need in everyday lives
Sydney Altizer is a ceramic artist and art teacher based in Pulaski County, VA, known for her bright and whimsy clay creations.
Originally from Winston Salem, NC, Altizer developed a passion for art as a child. Sydney took art classes throughout childhood, and became a self taught potter at the age of 14. Later in college, she refined her process with instruction from several Appalachian potters including Bob Meier of Doe Ridge Pottery.
Sydney is deeply connected to the Appalachian community. Her work has been sold at various locations in Boone, NC as well as stores in Virginia’s New River Valley, and has been exhibited at galleries across the NRV including Glencoe Mansion Gallery, Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation, and Pulaski’s Fine Art Center.
When not in her pottery studio or teaching, Sydney can be found curled up with a good book, spending time with her cats, painting, and traveling.
“My work explores the transformation of raw clay into a work of art through a hands-on, tactile process. Working with clay reconnects me to childhood—especially the experience of playing in the mud—and I carry that sense of curiosity and play into each piece. Texture is central to my practice; I build up playful, sometimes chaotic surfaces that create visual energy and invite closer attention. Drawing on nostalgia, humor, and whimsy, my work reflects the joy and strangeness of childhood memory. At its core, my practice is about chasing moments of simple delight—creating work that feels personal and quietly magical.”