Logan Penney ’26

Ceramics

Acton, Massachusetts

Logan Penney is earning his BFA with a concentration in ceramics. His research and creative work explore how farmer-florists in Massachusetts and beyond can address major issues at the heart of the commercial floral industry, including large carbon footprints, single-use plastic waste, environmental pollution with pesticides, and ethical humanitarian concerns. Through public art exhibitions, education, and community-led discussions, Penney seeks to raise awareness among consumers and business owners and to create more sustainable models of flower production in the future. Penney’s ceramic art has been exhibited at the Asparagus Valley Potters Guild and UMass Amherst’s Herter Art Gallery.

What inspires you to do this work?

I think everyone can appreciate the beauty of a flower—it’s one of the most universally loved symbols in our culture. Flowers remind me of the persistence of life and the extraordinary benefits of diversity in our society. I want to live in a world where we can surround ourselves with beauty while feeling good about how we are sourcing it. It is stunning to me that in the middle of summer, when we are surrounded by flowers in our community, we would choose instead to buy flowers picked in South America and flown to us wrapped in layers of plastic, sticky from the reality that the farmer who grew them was probably underpaid and exposed to toxic chemicals. But who is to blame? Our culture drives our actions, and who hasn’t seen a cheap bouquet of flowers at Trader Joe’s and thought, “Score!” What inspires me is that things can change, and all it takes is people who care. My research and creative work has made me care, and it is my hope to help do that for others.

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What do you see as the long-term impact of this work?

I hope that in the future we are able to reframe our relationship with our planet and with our fellow Earth citizens. I want to inspire people to take an active role in their communities and to realize the power that they wield, even in everyday decisions like where to buy flowers from. I hold onto the thought that even small groups of passionate people can make massive impacts on the culture and the history of our society. In fact, when you think about it, that is how every shift in our culture happens: Small groups of people push us in certain directions, which echoes onto larger groups. I want to seize that power and use it for the good of our community and our planet. We are so privileged in western Massachusetts to realistically support a year-round, local, sustainable floral industry, and yet we still don’t. It’s time to ask ourselves, “Why not?” and “What can we do to change that?”

How has research enhanced your education at UMass?

Research has given me the opportunity to go beyond the confines of any course curriculum and to investigate the questions that I need answers to. It has challenged me to put the skills I have learned from my classes into practice in the real world and has given me the opportunity to use my voice in our community. This research has also pushed me to forge new connections across departments and across western Mass, which has opened so many doors to opportunities that I may have never found otherwise.

I’d encourage any student to look more closely, find your passions, and follow them! Ask questions and dig deeper than a Google search.

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How does your faculty mentor support your work?

While many faculty have assisted me on my journey here at UMass, I have to shout out Sarah Berquist, senior lecturer for sustainable food and farming in the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Over the last few years, she has completely revived the Stockbridge floral design program and created one of the most vibrant communities here on campus. My involvement in that program was the reason I embarked down this path, and it has been one of the most influential learning experiences of my life. Her fierce drive and ability to bring people and resources together have been simply inspirational, and everyone should be so lucky to have a teacher and mentor like that in their life. She has taught me that hard work and determination can blossom into positive change in big, beautiful blooms.

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