At Foelber Pottery, three men shaped more than ceramics—they shaped each other
“What is the most important thing in my life now?” asks Houston potter John Foelber, pausing for a moment, hands dusty from a morning at the wheel. “It’s the people I’ve met along the way.”
In 2025, as John celebrates his 75th birthday and more than half a century working in clay, he’s not throwing a party to honor himself. Instead, he’s turning the spotlight with an exhibition in honor of his Pottery Bros, a trio bound not by blood, but by friendship, creativity, and a shared belief that working with clay can transform more than just earth.
The exhibition brings together the lives and works of John Foelber, Bob Reddell, and Earnest Snell. Each took a different path to the studio, but once inside, the bond they forged became as lasting as the fired clay they shaped together. It will be on view September 20 through October 25, 2025 at Foelber Pottery Gallery & Studio,
Bob Reddell: A Spirited Force
When Bob Reddell arrived at Foelber Pottery in the 1990s, he carried both talent and scars. A former college football linebacker from Louisiana with an MBA and a painter’s eye, Bob was a whirlwind of contradictions: brilliant and brash, hilarious and deeply sensitive, equally at home in academia and the streets. At the time, he was living in an alcohol rehabilitation facility, trying to rebuild his life, and looking for a job.
When John shared that he needed help in the studio, April Gauss, then executive director of City ArtWorks, introduced him to Bob . It was a mutually beneficial arrangement: Bob needed a place to land and John needed assistance as he was struggling at the time with painful tendonitis.
What began as a practical exchange turned into something much more. Bob became a trusted assistant—hauling clay, firing kilns, helping teach students. In turn, John gave Bob full access to the studio’s tools and space, encouraging him to dive back into ceramics.
Bob’s pieces were unconventional, textured, alive with motion. John began exhibiting them in the gallery, proudly watching as Bob developed his own voice in clay. “He could be outrageous,” John recalls, laughing. “But he was brilliant. He was my friend.”
In 2003, Bob died suddenly of a heart attack at age 48. His passing left a void—and shelves of unfinished ceramic work. For years, John couldn’t bring himself to catalog or exhibit Bob’s remaining pieces.
“It was too painful,” he says. “But now, over 20 years later, it’s time. We’re ready to share his story again.”
Earnest Snell: Drawing a New Future
“When I first met Earnest, he was drawing on a Styrofoam cup,” says John. At the time, Earnest Snell was unhoused, living on the streets of Houston, attending Jubilee services and meals at St. James Episcopal Church in Third Ward. John, struck by the sensitivity of Earnest’s impromptu drawing, invited him to visit the studio and try working in clay.
What began as a friendly gesture evolved into a life-altering apprenticeship. Three months became one year. One year became ten. And Earnest, who had never touched a potter’s wheel before, began crafting pieces with astonishing emotional depth.
His sculptures and vessels are intimate—sometimes raw, sometimes joyful, always honest. Over time, he became a fixture at the studio, known not only for his art but for his quiet strength and determination.
In 2021, Earnest’s story was featured in the Houston Chronicle, introducing a wider audience to his extraordinary path from the streets to the studio. But those who know him best say his success wasn’t about being “rescued”—it was about finding a place to belong, a purpose, and a clay community that believed in him.
Brotherhood in Clay
There’s a reason this exhibition is titled Pottery Bros. It’s not a clever tagline. It’s a truth John carries deeply.
“These men—Bob and Earnest—they shaped me as much as I shaped clay,” John says. “I gave them access to tools and space, but they gave me something bigger. Purpose. Joy. And a reminder that art is not about prestige. It’s about connection.”
Pottery Bros is a celebration, yes—but not just of pots on pedestals. It’s a celebration of second chances, chosen family, and the healing power of making something by hand.
And as visitors walk through the gallery—past Bob’s expressive, long-silent sculptures, Earnest’s newest works born from resilience, and John’s own vessels crafted over 50 years—they’ll witness not just the arc of three artistic lives, but the enduring beauty of brotherhood in clay.
Exhibition Info
Pottery Bros: John Foelber, Earnest Snell, Bob Reddell
September 20 – October 25, 2025
Opening Weekend Receptions: Saturday, September 20 (6–9 PM) and Sunday, September 21 (12–3 PM)
Foelber Pottery Gallery & Studio
706 Richmond Ave., Houston 77006
Open Tue–Sat, 10 AM–3 PM and by appointment
www.foelberpottery.com