Jason Piccoli is a native of Colorado and grew up moving between Littleton, Denver and Arvada. He spent his youth devouring sources of science fiction, fantasy, eastern thought, and obsessing about ancient cultures. He practiced painting, drawing and played guitar until his fingers bled. He studied Fine Art at Arapahoe Community College earning his Associate’s in Art, where he found his passion for clay and a fondness for the community that surrounded it. He earned his BFA in Ceramics at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and later his MFA in Ceramics at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. In graduate school he wanted to explore the idea of bridging the functional, the sculptural, and the painted image. “As a devoted reader, I am consistently in awe of the power of language to cultivate imagination and advance understanding. It is often through stories that knowledge and meaning are attained intuitively, made one’s own – versus that of reading a list of facts. It is by intuitive response to my work that I find satisfaction and authenticity. As a devoted maker, my work is my story.”

Jason is the 2017-2018 Cooper Foundation Artist-In-Residence funded by The Cooper Foundation.