Joey Gottbrath was born and raised near Louisville, KY. He received his BA in Functional Design from Murray State University, where he studied with Kentucky furniture maker Paul Sasso. Gottbrath received his MFA in Sculpture from Arizona State University in 2002, studying with woodworker Tom Eckert and sculptor Mary Bates Neubauer. In 2004 Gottbrath was a recipient of the Arizona Arts Commission Artist Project Grant, one of five artists in the state to receive the grant. Gottbrath has also been the recipient of scholarships from Arizona State University, the Furniture Society, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Penland Craft School, and Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Gottbrath’s work combines traditional furniture and woodworking forms with contemporary narrative elements. Venues that have exhibited Gottbrath’s work include Mesa Museum for Youth, Tryptich Gallery, Andorra Gallery, Gallery Materia, Boxheart Gallery, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Diablo Valley College Art Gallery, and the Oakland Airport.

Joey Gottbrath has been a teacher and member of the studio staff at The Crucible since 2004. He is currently serving as the Director of Studio Operations at The Crucible, in addition to teaching sculpture classes at Diablo Valley College and woodturning intensive courses at The Crucible.