Charles Snowden, who found his artistic direction at a MiraCosta College pottery wheel, is now a ceramic sculptor represented by Nazarian Curcio, a contemporary art gallery in Los Angeles.

Snowden grew up in the San Diego area and spent childhood summers taking youth art courses at MiraCosta, including Chinese watercolor and drawing, according to the college. At 16, he enrolled in a life drawing course with instructor Dean Ramos, where he was the youngest student in the room.

After a year studying English and literature at a nearby state university, Snowden returned to MiraCosta at 19, uncertain about his next step.

"I wasn't sure what to do at that moment, but I knew MiraCosta College was the smart and economical option," Snowden said in a college profile published Monday, Sept. 21. "I knew the teaching was really strong, and I felt drawn to a career in the arts, even if I wasn't sure if that was possible."

That return put him at a pottery wheel, struggling to center a lump of clay. Instructor Tony Richards noticed his persistence and suggested a different method. The small adjustment stuck.

Richards, Ramos and Yoshimi Hayashi, a full-time sculpture and ceramics faculty member who apprenticed with ceramic sculptor Hiroshi Ikehata in Japan, became Snowden's mentors at MiraCosta. They pushed him to develop his ideas and work beyond what felt familiar.

After earning his MiraCosta degree, Snowden transferred to Humboldt State University in 2010. His focus shifted from functional ceramics toward sculpture. He later returned to MiraCosta as a ceramics lab technician, a role that gave him studio access to experiment and grow.

By 2016, Snowden was building larger pieces at MiraCosta. Richards and Hayashi helped make room for his work in the kiln. Hayashi encouraged him to explore materials beyond ceramics, guidance that helped lead Snowden to graduate school at UCLA, where he earned his MFA.

Snowden now splits his time between Los Angeles and Barcelona, Spain. His work has been exhibited at Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles, the Oceanside Museum of Art and the San Diego Art Institute, which holds his work in its permanent collection. His sculptures have been featured in Hyperallergic, Artillery Mag and Cultured Mag.

Nazarian Curcio, founded in 2012 and now housed in a 6,000-square-foot Hollywood space on La Brea Avenue, participates in major fairs including Art Basel Miami Beach and Frieze Los Angeles.

In the college profile, Snowden said he envisions creating a community space where artists can participate in residencies and students can learn and experiment. No timeline or location for that project has been announced.