After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Art degree from West Virginia University in 2008, Hona Leigh Knudsen moved to Floyd, VA for a 3-year apprenticeship with renowned ceramic artists and founding 16 Hands members, Donna Polseno and Richard Hensley. Her apprenticeship with Donna and Rick gave her first-hand experience of what studio life could be like outside of a school setting. Working alongside two amazing clay artists, Hona learned the ins and outs of running a business, the importance of time management, as well as many crucial tips for how to set up her own studio. Her time with Donna and Rick also gave her a glimpse of what a collective of like-minded artists can accomplish when they pool their resources and time to create an event that draws in art lovers from across the region and further.

“As an apprentice, I helped Donna and Rick get ready for many 16 Hands Studio Tours. This gave me a real appreciation for all the hard work that goes into preparing for an event like this and I began to see that I could do something like this someday.”

Hona now lives in Copper Hill, VA where she shares a studio with her husband Josh Manning on his family farm. She became a member of 16 Hands in 2019. Hona is the Ceramic Studio Technician and an Instructor of Ceramics at Hollins University and runs her own pottery and production business. She has exhibited her work nationally and has traveled to China twice in her pursuit of ceramic techniques and inspiration.