Originally from Longmont, Colorado, Marshall Rooney (He/Him) is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Art at the University of Northern Colorado, with additional minors in Violin Performance and Art History. Outside of school, Rooney loves to stay active via rock climbing, hiking, biking, and skateboarding. He also enjoys spending time with his cat (Squeegee), making music, reading, and has recently been learning how to cook. 

Rooney walked into the ceramics studio on a free block in high school, only to be launched into a world full of experimentation and defined by failure. He fell in love with the medium, and has since been determined to try hard, have fun, and learn as much as he can within the realm of ceramics. In his first semester in ceramic classes at UNC, Rooney was struck by one of Peter Pinnel’s lectures, “Thoughts on Cups”. Rooney resonated deeply with Pinnel’s thoughts about function, utilitarianism, and bringing art objects into our daily life. It fundamentally changed his outlook on the craft, encouraging him to think deeply and intensely about the objects he makes. 

Rooney regards ceramics as his primary focus, though he remains multifaceted in his artistic practice. He has recently been enjoying experimenting within the world of textiles and printmaking. Rooney has not settled on a single theme or focus for his work yet, but is exploring ideas within function, impracticality, childhood, sibling relationships, stress, desire, and self fulfillment. Rooney is excited to keep creating, and continue to learn and ponder the medium that has captured his love and attention, for years to come.