Pocosin Residents Exhibition
Practicing Persistence
In March our Vault Gallery will feature a group exhibition showcasing work by Ryan Catalano (ceramics), Hannah Craft (metals), and Henry Merker (wood), who are three long-term residents at Pocosin Arts.
The work included in the exhibition demonstrates the persistence of craft concepts in the studio practice of three emerging artists.
The exhibition showcases a variety of craft traditions and personal artistic visions, allowing visitors to experience both individual creativity and the collective synergy among residents.
Since September 2025, Henry, Ryan, and Hannah have honed their skills at the school's respective craft studios with focuses on form, texture, and production. Practicing Persistence is the mid-term culmination of each artist's area of study as it relates to the evolution of their craft. We warmly invite everyone to celebrate our shared passion for handmade, crafted objects.
Show Dates + Opening Reception
Practicing Persistence will be on display in the Vault Gallery March 7-28, 2026.
There will be an opening reception on Friday, March 6 from 6pm to 8pm, where visitors can meet Ryan, Hannah, and Henry and view their work.
The opening reception is during downtown Manteo's First Friday festivities, and is free and open the public. Dare Arts will also have live music on the Courthouse steps during the opening.
Artist Info
Ryan Catalano is a potter from Mebane, North Carolina, specializing in utilitarian ceramics. He graduated from Appalachian State University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics and a minor in communication. Ryan focuses on creating functional pottery that is both beautiful and practical. He draws significant inspiration from the landscapes and animals around him, as well as from vintage Pyrex and CorningWare.
Hannah Craft is an artist and educator from upstate New York. Graduating from Skidmore College with a bachelor’s degree in studio art, Hannah went on to earn an MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2024. Hannah has worked as an art fabricator, a foundry technician, and most recently, as a bench jeweler and adjunct professor. She works with craft mediums because they are labor-intensive and time-consuming, embodying intentionality and control in an uncertain andunpredictable world.
Henry Merker is a woodworker and furniture designer based out of Philadelphia, PA. His work intersects the cryptic and the mundane, using wood as a medium to discover rare shapes. In his studio practice, Henry balances the precision of CNC-routing with the looseness of hand-carved details to build a formal language that is abstract, yet controlled. Henry holds a BS in Product Design from Drexel University and works as a long-term Artist-in-Residence at Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft in Columbia, NC.
