Jay Hatfield

Jay served in a Special Operations Unit as a Marine and during the Gulf War as a Scout in a Light Armored Reconnaissance Unit. Following his serves, he discovered a passion for the culinary arts and clay. He has over 20 years in prestigious restaurants and country clubs along the East Coast. Jay has a BFA in Ceramics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he was a finalist for the Rickert-Ziebold Art Award. After a 11-year hiatus due to a diagnosis at age 36 of stage 4 lung cancer in 2007; the cancer linked to the Gulf War. Jay returned to ceramics in 2018. In 2022, he enrolled at FAU in the MFA program concluding with his exhibition in Spring 2025, “War Abstracted” in Boca Raton, Florida.