Muddy Waters Clay Center

Alvin O. Boucher - President

Mr. Boucher took his first Ceramics class in 1972 while he was an undergraduate student at the University of North Dakota (UND). He enrolled in so many ceramic classes as an undergraduate that he almost received a minor in addition to his double major in Political Science and Russian Studies when he graduated in 1974. He received an M.A. in Art (Ceramics) from Mankato State University in 1977. He later received a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1984 and. He is now a shareholder with Robert Vogel Law Office, P.C., in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and has volunteered his time to do legal work for a number of local arts organizations. He continues to work in clay and has taught numerous ceramics classes at both the college and adult community education level. He has taught the Grand Forks Public School’s Adult Education pottery class for approximately 10 years. He has his ceramic work in a number of public and private collections and has exhibited regionally. He has also served on numerous non-profit arts boards. His creates both functional and sculptural pottery.

Warren Jensen - Vice President

Mr. Jensen is a graduate of UND. He obtained his M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco in 1982. Following an active clinical practice in Family Medicine, he completed a residency in Aerospace Medicine in 1993 from Wright State University. For the past 15 years, he has held an academic position at UND's Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, where is a professor, director of Aeromedical Research, and a flight surgeon. He first took ceramics in 1978 while an undergraduate student at UND, and he has been active in Grand Forks Adult Education classes. His current ceramic interest lies in the design and creation of functional pottery.

Doug Grissom - Secretary

Mr. Grissom is a 1990 graduate of Carleton College, where he enrolled in his first ceramics class. He obtained his M.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2001. Following a one year internship, he joined the U.S. Air Force as a flight surgeon. After completing his Air Force commitment, he started his Family Practice Residency in Grand Forks, ND, and completed it in 2007. He is currently working as a Family Practice physician with Altru Health Systems in Grand Forks. He took his first class from the Grand Forks Public School’s Adult Education while stationed at the Air Force Base in Grand Forks. His main ceramic interest is creation of functional pottery and use of colored slips for decoration.

Debra Sumner - Treasurer

Ms. Sumner has two college degrees from UND. She graduated in 1986 in Retail Merchandizing and in 1997 with a degree in Accounting. In 1997 she enrolled in some ceramics classes while pursuing her accounting degree. After graduation she continued to enroll in ceramics classes at UND. She has worked in all aspects of retail from merchandizing to buying. While a student she became President and Treasurer of the UND Ceramic Arts Organization. Her ceramic work is primarily functional. She is exploring ways to use indigenous clays from Greater Grand Forks for glazes. She spends some of her time demonstrating clay skills to children at the Grand Forks Air Force Base Youth Center. She loves doing it.

Phone: 701-775-1168
Mailing Address: PO Box 12317
Location: 2014 13th Ave N
Email: info@muddywatersclay.org