Axis of Hope Prayer Wheels

03/18/2026

12/15/2025

ArtStorming: The Art of Remembrance, Lili Pierrepont captures the essence of our lengthy interview in this beautifully written piece.

How Chris Moench alchemizes grief into gold

12/14/2025

Friends, I was honored to be interviewed by Lili Pierrepont for her podcast "Art Storming: The Art of Remembrance." Lili has a knack for getting to the heart of an artist's work. For me, our conversation provided a rare opportunity to dive deep into my intentions in creating prayer wheels.

Podcast summary: How do you create a life’s work from grief? Ceramic artist Chris Moench shares his profound answer: the creation of spinning prayer wheels. His vessels move beyond fixed mantras, becoming sanctuaries etched with personal narratives and designed to receive our most essential stories. We discuss the power of kintsugi (mending with gold), the practice of incorporating cremains into glaze, and how his large-scale wheels transform public memory and environmental crisis into a tactile map of hope. This is legacy not as a plaque, but as an invitation to participate. (50 min.)

Episode 4: Chris Moench

12/05/2025

This weekend I'll be showing my newest prayer wheels at the Wild Arts Festival in Portland. It's the 45th anniversary of the event which supports the Bird Alliance of Oregon. Here's a sampling of the work I'm bringing to the show. You can see a full set of photos of each vessel, and more on my website: https://www.axisofhope.net/axis-of-hope-prayer-wheels-current-inventory

11/25/2025

Looking into the Depths, prayer wheel

11/25/2025

I've been very focused making new prayer wheels making vessels to show at the Wild Arts Festival in Portland on the 6th and 7th of December. It's a benefit for the Oregon Bird Alliance and takes place at the Wingspan Center.

Here's a sample of my new work.

10/14/2025

What a beautiful two weekends it’s been.

Thank you to everyone who came out to explore, connect, and celebrate creativity during the 2025 Whatcom Artist Studio Tour. Your visits, conversations, and enthusiasm mean the world to our artists. Your enthusiasm keeps the creative heartbeat of Whatcom County strong.

A special thank you to our sponsor, WECU , for helping make this year’s tour possible (and for showing up big for art lovers!).

Keep those brochures handy. Our artist studios are open by appointment year-round, and we’d love to welcome you back anytime.

Here’s to art that inspires, connects, and brings us together. See you next year!

10/13/2025

Many many thanks to everyone that came out to my studio during the last two weekends during the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour! I met so many neighbors, saw old friends and a host of wonderful people from far and wide. I'm still mulling the many fascinating conversations about art and life. It was enormously encouraging and inspiring. I'm also deeply grateful to those of you that purchased my work to bring into your lives.

Big hugs of gratitude to my studio companions Sierra James and Kasey Potzler who graced my home with their beautiful creations, shared the hosting labors and welcomed all our visitors with warm good humor and curiosity. Let's do it again!

If you wanted to visit during the Tour but weren't able to make it, I am happy to welcome visitors throughout the year by appointment. Message me through Facebook and we'll find a time.

10/13/2025

The Olympics are the focus of Stephen Grace's meditation "Death, Love, and Goats on Deception Pass," in our Autumn edition. Having spent much of his life exploring the world, Stephen returns to the Olympics to wander because his friend and mentor "Willi's enthusiasm for plants in high places commanded my attention." Willi teaches him to look closely at the native plants of the area, but also to examine and understand the unique geology of the mountains as well as its animals. Willi figures large in his memories, and he states that he wishes he could add decades to his life. "With those extra years, I would find more friends like Willi who know that looking closely at the living world provides a path toward understanding where we are—and perhaps even who we are. I wanderings."

Read his story here:
https://www.adventuresnw.com/death-love-and-goats-on-deception-pass/

10/10/2025

I'm sending a deep bow of gratitude out to all the readers of Bellingham Alive magazine who voted me a Bronze Award for the Best Artist in Bellingham! I feel deeply honored to be recognized in this way. Thank you!

10/09/2025

Come to my studio this weekend between 10AM and 5PM during the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour and spin these new prayer wheels! Check out all my work at www.axisofhope.net