Puneeta Mittal

Puneeta Mittal to Head Ceramics Department at the Art League of Long Island

From a little red schoolhouse to its current place as a bustling arts center, the Art League of Long Island has grown by leaps and bounds since its formation in 1955. Most notably, the dedicated ceramics studio has recently expanded to accommodate growing demand for additional studio space. The Art League is happy to announce that ceramicist, sculptor, painter, and instructor Puneeta Mittal will lead the expanded program as head of the newly formed ceramics department. Puneeta’s involvement with the Art League first began as an instructor from 2002 to 2004, then as a Board Member from 2004 to 2012, and has continued to show her work in the Art League’s Gallery in various exhibitions. The Art League embraces her return to the Art League fold as leader of the ceramics program.

As Department Head, Puneeta will supervise five ceramics instructors, introduce a larger variety of ceramics methods and processes, and ensure a safe and healthy studio environment. Of her plans for the ceramics department Puneeta says, “I hope that the coming years will establish the clay studio at the Art League as a leader in ceramic arts program where young and adult artists congregate to express their creativity using techniques and equipment giving them a variety of experiences and a range of finishing methods for their creations. This is also likely to provide a sense of ownership in a community that provides ceramic art education, workshops for cutting edge techniques to keep pace with the ever-expanding field of ceramics, exhibition of latest ceramic trends, community events and outreach programs that strengthen the mission and goal of the Art League.”

Born and educated in India, Puneeta Mittal received a master’s degree in Hindi Literature in New Delhi, and launched her teaching career at Valley School, Krishnamurti Foundation boarding school, in Bangalore. After moving to the United States in 1994, Puneeta discovered her passion for clay and focused on exploring clay forms and surfaces with Betty Busby of “The Clayroom” studio at Oyster Bay, NY. In 2006 she graduated with an MA in Studio Art from Adelphi University, followed by an MFA from Long Island University in 2008. She has taught ceramics at the Clayroom and as Adjunct Faculty at Adelphi University. She lives on Long Island where she continues to instruct as an Assistant Adjunct Professor at Suffolk County Community College and Long Island University.

With a strong belief that everything that is born, grows and withers away to be yet born again – incessant change from one to other proceeds in an evolutionary cycle – clay has proved to be an ideal medium for her expressions. Her love for color and textures in nature – internal and external, has proved to be an unlimited resource for the work she creates in her studio. Her work is featured in New York Times, Newsday, and other publications. Puneeta has sold artwork at various galleries in New York, Texas, Turkey and Austria. Her work is in permanent collections of private homes and public institutions throughout the world.