Alchemy of Clay

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Tea Ceremony

SunDog Gallery in Mancos CO - I plan to visit after having read this article in the Durango Herald.

(excerpts given below)

Japanese tea ceremony sets stage for Sundog Gallery’s new exhibition, ‘Ritual Vessels’

The exhibition features ceramics from Southwest Colorado, Japan, South Korea and more

Bailey Duran

Special to The Journal

Japanese tea ceremony instructor Sochi Nomoto demonstrated how to participate in a tea ceremony, as well as explaining the history, prior to the opening of Sundog Gallery's new exhibition, “Ritual Vessels.” The tea kettle pictured was made by local artist and co-owner of Sundog, Jamille Cucci. (Bailey Duran/Special to The Journal)

The inside of Sundog Gallery was bathed in the sunlight streaming through the windows as patrons of various ages quietly walked around the gallery Saturday, viewing the many ceramics on display. The ceramics of all shapes and sizes sparkled from their places on the shelves, gazing out at the people milling around the gallery.

At 3 p.m., a brightly smiling woman in a pink and blue kimono (traditional Japanese dress) addressed the crowd of about 30 people, inviting everyone to gather around for the presentation of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, also known as Chanoyu.

Sochi Nomoto is a Chanoyu instructor and has been teaching for more than 20 years. She has been doing the ceremony even longer, sharing that she started at 11 years old. The name “Sochi” was given to her when she obtained teacher status.

Nomoto teaches classes in-person and virtually, as she lives part time in California and part time in Durango. The class takes place over the course of 10 weeks.

Participants gathered around to learn about a Japanese tea ceremony with Sochi Nomoto. (Bailey Duran/Special to The Journal)

The ceremony is based on four principles: harmony, respect, purity and tranquility.

The tea bowls, made by John Bradford, and the Japanese mochi were meant to be eaten and drunk together. (Bailey Duran/Special to The Journal)

The tea ceremony was the perfect segue into the opening of “Ritual Vessels,” which is now officially open to the public.

John Bradford, who works as a manager at Sundog, created the small bowls used for the tea ceremony. Other ceramics he created were also on display. He said he began his journey in ceramics in 1992.

“I’ve been doing it for 34 years, and I don’t even feel like I’m 34,” he joked.

A variety of ceramics, including this large giraffe, can be seen in the exhibition. (Bailey Duran/Special to The Journal)

The ceramics, which are all a variety of sizes and colors, are featured in many different sizes and forms. (Bailey Duran/Special to The Journal)

At first, Bradford was going to school for chemistry, but after taking a pottery class, everything changed. He opened a pottery shop in 2004 in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico. Before coming to Sundog, he was running the Morean Center for Clay in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Bradford also spoke of his time building a kiln in Japan, and what he learned about ceramics during his time there.

“Japan was incredibly eye-opening,” he said, while speaking of the Japanese philosophy “wabi sabi,” which essentially means “beauty in imperfection” or “beauty in decay,” something that is seen often in ceramics.

Bradford’s wife, Brandie Bradford, who also manages Sundog, said she started working with ceramics about seven years ago. Her artwork is on display in the exhibition.

Brandie spoke of the process of using a wood-fire kiln (which can take 13 hours to three days) and shared that working with ceramics has been a way to combat overthinking.

Shelves of ceramics are featured in the exhibition. (Bailey Duran/Special to The Journal)

“When my hands start doing the thinking, my brain turns off,” Brandie said. “You move into your body and out of your brain.”

Jamille Cucci, who opened Sundog Gallery with her partner a little over a year ago, is also featured in Ritual Vessels. She started learning ceramics in 2021, and John Bradford helped her build her wood-fire kiln in Mancos. Cucci said she and her partner, Dominique Falkner, love travel and art, and the gallery is heavily influenced by those passions.

A lot of her inspiration comes from Japanese and Korean ceramics. Though she started mainly with Japanese, Korean-style (specifically Joseon era) ceramics are now seen heavily represented in her pieces. She has traveled to South Korea in the past to learn from artisans there, and shared that she is preparing to go on another trip this fall.

Other participating artists include Scott Roberts, Scott Rutherford, Miki Carlini, Janet Lever-Wood, Chyako Hashimoto, Rob Lamb, Charles Morrison, Kazuya Ishida, Margaret Curtis, Pann Ceramics and Chandler Dayton.

Nomoto’s Japanese tea ceremony class and additional information can be found on her website at sochi–tea.com.

Sundog Gallery’s exhibit “Ritual Vessels” is available for public viewing until Nov. 30. Sundog is located at 107 Grand Ave. in Mancos. More information about the gallery and the exhibition can be found online at sundoggallery.com.

bduran@the-journal.com