ABOUT CATHERINE



Catherine Monahon is an audio storyteller, arts facilitator and small business owner based in Oakland, California. Using the intimacy of sound and the sensuality of materials, they create experiences that invite us to connect with our creative impulses, our bodies, and our spirits. Their goal is to enrich our relationships with our own creativity and sense of belonging in the world. They run Waveform Ceramics, a clay classroom in Oakland specializing in beginners and offering traditional pottery instruction as well as private healing-centered sessions for personal growth.


Key projects:

  • Material Feels - audio project and podcast exploring the intimate relationship between artists and their materials.
  • Interactive installation - Conversations with the Material World (CwtMW), is currently on tour, with recent exhibitions at the Smithsonian's Hirschhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
  • Waveform Ceramics - clay classroom in Oakland
  • CLAYBODY - Healing-centered offering at Waveform!


Catherine's writing about illness, disability and art has been published in The New York Times, MIT Press, and the British Medical Journal. As a freelance field recordist, they’ve captured audio for Audible, iHeartRadio, NPR, Bon Appetit, the Smithsonian, 99% Invisible and Microsoft. Their artwork has been exhibited at the Smithsonian’s Hirschhorn Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Clay Clubhouse, Grace Cathedral, The Organization for Human Brain Mapping, and Omni Commons.



GET IN TOUCH

Lucy Kang, Reporter at KPFA
Storytelling Workshop



"Catherine's sound design workshop gave me a fresh perspective to think about how to use scoring and audio elements in the support of storytelling. They pair their wealth of expertise with intuition and creativity, which is deeply informed by their arts background."



Selena Loomis, Herbalist & Fiber Artist



"I felt very seen and held in the space Catherine created. It encouraged me to carefully consider the way my mind makes connections, the ways that stories can be built from potent crumbs.Their workshops helped me to focus in on the way I want to present my experiences to others more. Nearly every time I tell a story since then, I consider how best to format it via their tactic for soft outlines.”



MATERIAL FEELS PODCAST LISTENER



"I end Material Feels episodes feeling grounded, hopeful, inspired and creative. It’s so soothing, and really opens up my perspective to seeing the world differently. Catherine is such a compassionate, spunky, and curious interviewer."