Meredith McGriff

Meredith A.E. McGriff is a folklorist, researcher, writer, and community strategist whose work explores how people build meaningful connections through shared creative practice. Holding a PhD in Folkloristics from Indiana University, Meredith has spent her career studying the stories, traditions, relationships, and organizational structures that help communities thrive.

Her research and writing frequently examine the intersection of culture, collaboration, and community development. In the ceramic arts, she is best known as the author of The Michiana Potters: Art, Community, and Collaboration in the Midwest, a landmark study documenting the artists, relationships, and networks that have shaped the clay community of northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Through her work, Meredith has highlighted the ways artists build professional support systems, share knowledge, foster mentorship, and create lasting cultural impact through collaboration.

A founding board member of the Northern Indiana Clay Alliance (NICA), longtime supporter of the Michiana Pottery Tour, and independent researcher, Meredith has become an important voice in preserving and interpreting the history of one of the nation’s most vibrant regional clay communities. Her research continues to explore community development, collaboration, and professional networks within the arts, helping illuminate the often unseen connections that sustain creative practice over time.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience across nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and technology-focused organizations, Meredith brings a unique perspective to conversations about how communities and organizations evolve. Her work has focused on helping organizations strengthen communication, improve systems, and maintain meaningful human connections while adapting to change. She currently serves as Director of Technology and Communications for the Financial Women’s Association, where she leads strategic initiatives supporting the organization’s mission and growth.

What makes Meredith’s work especially meaningful is her ability to see the larger story behind individual achievements. Whether documenting a pottery community, studying organizational culture, or exploring the ways people collaborate, she reminds us that creative work rarely happens in isolation. Behind every successful artist, organization, or movement is a network of relationships, shared knowledge, and collective effort.

At the heart of Meredith’s work is a belief that community matters. Through her writing, research, and advocacy, she helps preserve the stories of those communities while offering insight into how they are built, sustained, and passed from one generation to the next.