Meet The Team
Founder and Artist
Nikki Fanning
Nikki Fanning is the founder and creative force behind Vivienne Monroe Pottery, a community-centered pottery studio.
Nikki discovered pottery during a deeply difficult season of life after losing someone close to her. Through clay, she found healing, purpose, and eventually a passion that transformed into more than creating pottery—it became a way to connect with and teach others every day.
As a self-taught pottery artist, Nikki’s work embraces organic forms, coastal inspiration, and the beauty of imperfection. Her greatest joy comes not only from making art, but from building a welcoming creative space where others can slow down, create with their hands, and experience the same comfort and connection that pottery brought into her own life.
Studio Manager
Rick Cardenas
Born and raised in San Antonio, Rick relocated to the area in 2023 and brought with him a lifelong love of creativity and art. Drawn to making things by hand, he especially enjoys handbuilding and creating miniature sculptures, often focusing on pieces that are playful, detailed, and full of personality. His creative style is inspired by artists like JC Ro and Arturo Torres, whose work fuels his imagination and artistic approach. Outside of the studio, Rick is a huge sports fan and brings that same passion, energy, and sense of community into everything he does at Vivienne Monroe Pottery.
Head Potter
Dana Avanzini
Originally from New Jersey, Dana spent six years living in Arizona before eventually relocating to Florida. Her love of pottery began about 10 years ago and has turned into both a creative passion and an artistic outlet. In New Jersey, she became a resident potter at the Long Beach Island Arts and Science Foundation and while living in Arizona, she continued building her ceramics practice by taking college classes to deepen her knowledge in the craft. Since moving to Florida, ceramics has become an even greater creative passion and an important part of her life.
Alongside her artistic journey, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in management engineering from Long Island University, C.W.Post. For 20 years, she was also deeply involved in athletics as a competitive softball pitcher. She earned Hall of Fame recognition twice in high school and once in college. In 1996, she was recognized in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” feature in the April 15 issue.
After moving to Florida, she met a fellow potter who inspired me to continue pursuing her passion for ceramics. When she's not in the studio, you can usually find her at the barn training in dressage enjoying the connection between horse and rider or at home planning her next travel adventure.