Dara Hartman Muldoon
UtahClay.org
22
years of professional experience
Dynamic individual with hands on experience in event coordination, public speaking, and fundraising. Passionate about creative idea generation and concept development. Detail-oriented and recognized for problem-solving skills. A charismatic leader who inspires through public speaking, storytelling, and mentorship.
Work History
Director, Women Working with Clay Symposium
5 Years 6 Months- Facilitated an annual event that celebrates, supports, and empowers women artists through demonstrations and storytelling.
- Collaborated with Women Working with Clay team to plan, invite artists, and oversee implementation of annual gathering, enhancing community engagement.
- Worked with the Founding Director to establish the Mentorship Scholarship Program to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that provide mentorship opportunities for young and young at heart artists who may not be able to attend otherwise.
- Spearheaded fundraising and cultivated relationships with ceramic suppliers to secure ongoing funding for Mentorship Scholarship Program.
Frances Niederer Artist-in-Residence
3 Months- Visiting Artist position where I developed a new body of work.
- Taught an advanced ceramics course with a focus on professional development and community engagement. The class objective was to work together as a team to organize, secure funding for, and install a group exhibition. Students were also required to apply for a residency.
- As part of my residency I gave lectures and taught workshops regionally; at UNC Charlotte, UNC Asheville, and the Blue Ridge Potters Guild.
Exhibition Committee Chair & Regional Team Support
2 Years- Worked closely, as a volunteer, with the regional and national NCECA team to help facilitate and organize the successful implementation of the 2025 Salt Lake City National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference.
- Working with the Exhibitions Committee we reviewed and juried the Featured Exhibitions that would receive primary placement in galleries in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Collaborated with local galleries and businesses to promote NCECA and facilitate the placement of exhibitions.
- Collaborated with the NCECA team to help with planning the Exhibition Tour Bus Routes.
- Collaborated with the NCECA team to plan and organize a four day Collectors Bus Tour. Connected with local arts organizers, collectors, and businesses to facilitate visits to local public art sites, artist studios, and private collections.
- Connected with people and communities from across the state to promote NCECA.
- Procured funding from local businesses to provide travel, lodging, and meals for young people from all around Utah to be able to attend the conference. NCECA matched our efforts by providing conference passes.
Instructor
1 Year- Taught Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Ceramics that included throwing, hand building, mold making, and slip casting.
- Facilitated the Advanced Ceramics Group Exhibition in the first semester.
- Coordinated with the Advanced students in the second semester to plan, organize, and find funding for their Solo Exhibitions.
Artist Residency
- Developed a new body of work that has become the sculptures I make today.
- Traveled and researched traditional Miao textiles.
- Traveled and researched the history of Imperial Ceramics in Jingdezhen, China.
Founder
9 Years 6 Months- Established an online database of Utah ceramic artists to serve as a resource for connecting artists locally and nationally.
Product Design Team Leader and Designer
2 Years- Designed home decor items for big box stores that include Walmart, Target, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Kroger, Pier 1 Imports, Kohls, and Tractor Supply to name a few.
- Directed a team on product design, designs needed seasonally and for new clients.
- Used company proprietary software to plan and move through the timeline from drawing spec sheets to final model approval before production.
- Traveled to China to collaborate with factories on developing working models.
Instructor
3 Years- Taught a Materials Science class that focused on testing individual ceramic materials as well as developing a clay body and a glaze based on the initial material tests. The students were also required to learn the Unity Molecular Formula to help them understand clay and glaze chemistry.
- Taught hand building, slip casting, and mold making classes.
Adjunct Professor
4 Years- Taught Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Ceramics in throwing and hand building.
- Taught Beginner Drawing.
Artist in Residence
- Developed a figurative sculptural body of work that referenced the perceptions of the female body.
- Community collaboration with all of the residents in the successful implementation of summer art events and community sales.
- Gave a slide talk during the Resident Artist Talk Series at the Holter Museum of Art.
- Taught a throwing and altering workshop.
- Assisted with photographing artwork for the annual sale.
- Cleaned the kitchen and did odd jobs around campus.
Education
M.F.A. - Ceramics
- Nominee: P.E.O. International Women’s Scholarship
- Montana State University, College of Graduate Studies Fellowship Recipient
- Mildred Livingston Grant Recipient
- Phi Kappa Phi Member
- Study Abroad: Perugia, Italy, Ceramics
- MFA Thesis Exhibition: Perceptions
B.F.A. - Ceramics
- Summa Cum Laude
- Mary Beasom Bishop and Francis Sumner Merritt Scholarship Recipient
- Arts Scholarship/Virginia Tech Art Department Scholarship Recipient
- George Preston Frazier Scholarship Recipient
- Commonwealth Award Scholarship Recipient
Skills
Dynamic leadership
Project management
Event coordination
Fundraising
Community organizing
Relationship building
Team collaboration
Coaching and mentoring
Creativity and innovation
Verbal and written communication
Affiliations
- NCECA - National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts
- Women's Caucus for Art
- Clay Arts Utah
PUBLICATIONS AND PODCAST INTERVIEWS
- 2025 Hartman D. “Behind the Scenes of NCECA | PJ Anderson, Antra Sinha, and Dara Hartman | Episode 1109.” The Potters Cast. February 25, 2025. https://thepotterscast.com/1109
- 2022 Hartman D. “413: Donna Polseno and Dara Hartman on the Women Working with Clay Symposium.” Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: A pottery and ceramic art podcast. April 14, 2022. https://bit.ly/TRCRPolsenoHartman
- Hartman D. “Systematize Making | Dara Hartman | Episode 814.” The Potters Cast. March 8, 2022. https://thepotterscast.com/814
- 2014 American Pottery, by Keven Hluch
- 2013 My Life on Two Wheels, by Dara Hartman, Studio Potter, January 2013
- 2010 500 Vases, Julia Galloway, Lark Books, USA
LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS
- 2026 Artist Talk: Crafting a Creative Life: Through Making & Mentorship, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC
- Artist Talk: Crafting a Creative Life: Through Making & Mentorship, University of North Carolina, Ashville, NC
- Artist Talk: Crafting a Creative Life: Through Making & Mentorship, Hollins University, Roanoke, VA
- Making Multiples: Intro to Mold Making & Slip Casting, Carbondale Clay Center, Carbondale, CO
- Making Molds & Slip Casting, Blue Ridge Potters Guild, Common Clay Collective, Roanoke, VA
- 2025 BYU Artist Seminar: Making, Mentorship, & Finding Meaning, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
- 2024 Plaster & Porcelain, Visual Art Institute, Salt Lake City, UT
- 2021 Panel Discussion and Closing Talk, Women Working With Clay Symposium, Hollins University, Roanoke,VA
- 2019 Brittingham Scholar & Visiting Artist Colloquium, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- 2018 Closing Talk, Women Working With Clay Symposium, Hollins University, Roanoke, VA
- Mold Making & Slip Casting Workshop, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT
- 2017 Mold Making & Slip Casting Workshop, Clay Arts Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
- 2016 Surface Design Workshop, Judge Memorial Catholic H.S., Salt Lake City, UT
- 2013 Slip Casting and Mold Making Talk and Demo, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
- Surface Demo and Lecture, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
- Artist Talk, Hollins University, Roanoke, VA
- 2012 Demonstrator, Slip Cast and Put Together, Ceramic Showcase, Portland, OR
- 2011 Demonstrator, Women Working with Clay Symposium, Hollins University, Roanoke, VA
- 2005 Archie Bray Resident Artists Slide Lecture Series, Holter Museum of Art, Helena, MT
Grants and Awards
- 2025 Individual Artist Advancement Grant from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Salt Lake City, UT
- 2024 Utah State Art Purchase, “Sampler on a Loom”, on display at the Alice Merrill Horne Art Collection, Salt Lake City
- Individual Artist Advancement Grant from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Salt Lake City, UT
- 2023 Award of Merit, 99th Annual Spring Salon, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
Timeline
Frances Niederer Artist-in-Residence
Hollins University
02.2026 - 05.2026Read More
Exhibition Committee Chair & Regional Team Support
NCECA 2025
01.2023 - 01.2025Read More
Director, Women Working with Clay Symposium
Hollins University
01.2021 - CurrentRead More
Instructor
University of Wisconsin
01.2019 - 01.2020Read More
Artist Residency
Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute
01.2018 - 01.2018Read More
Founder
UtahClay.org
01.2017 - CurrentRead More
Product Design Team Leader and Designer
Rimports USA LLC
01.2013 - 01.2015Read More
Instructor
Oregon College of Art and Craft
01.2009 - 01.2012Read More
Adjunct Professor
Clark College
01.2008 - 01.2012Read More
Artist in Residence
Archie Bray Foundation
01.2005 - 01.2005Read More
Montana State University
M.F.A. from Ceramics
Read More
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
B.F.A. from Ceramics
Read More