Studio Potter – The Podcast

This audio was summarized by Gerry Williams and published under Grace Hampton's name in Volume 10, Number 2, June 1982. The title of her entry was “Black Crafts,” a section of the series “Mississippi Trace,” which highlights several ceramists living and working in Mississippi.

In this episode of Studio Potter – The Podcast , listeners travel to Bakersville, North Carolina, to visit Rock Creek Pottery and hear the voices of Douglass Rankin and Will Ruggles. Rooted in the rich clay traditions of western North Carolina, Rock Creek Pottery is both a living archive of regional knowledge, experimentation, and mentorship. Rankin and Ruggles reflect on their individual paths in...

For this episode and contemporary audio, I sat down, remotely, with Richard Notkin on November 13, 2025, for an extended conversation about his life in clay and the principles that have fueled his practice. Notkin, who has spent nearly sixty years making work that confronts war, challenges the failures of human leadership, and probes humanity’s fragile relationship with the environment, speaks wit...

In this special episode recorded during the Archie Bray Foundation’s 50th anniversary, panelists and trailblazers of American ceramics, including Ken Ferguson, Rudy Autio, and Peter Voulkos, reflect on the foundation’s origins and evolution. The conversation explores the challenges of its early years, the vision and influence of Archie Bray and colleagues, and pivotal moments such as visits from i...

As one of the five Black Los Angeles artists featured in Studio Potter (Vol. 9, No. 2, 1981), Stanley Wilson's insights and experiences continue to resonate, inspiring new generations of makers and scholars. His dedication to ceramics, mentorship, and advocacy has built a lasting legacy – one that bridges the past, present, and future.

These are the voices of Gerry Williams, the founding editor of Studio Potter, interviewing North Carolina potter Neolia Cole. One of the most enduring and prolific of North Carolina’s potting dynasties is the Cole family, whose members have been potting in central North Carolina—Randolph, Moore, Lee, and Montgomery Counties—for more than two hundred years. This audio was summarized into a short ar...

This audio was summarized into a short article featuring Melvin Lee Ownes and his studio in Studio Potters North Caroline Potters issue from December 1997. This issue focused on the vibrant pottery traditions of the region, and Studio Potter has remastered these voices from the past. Over the next few months, we’ll be diving into our archives to share audio stories from potters in states impacted...

Unexpectedly Full of Art By Delvin Goode As I look ahead to life after the military, I find myself reflecting more on a career that was unexpectedly full of art. By honoring those with whom I served and their families, I was able to grow as an artist and, for the most part, keep up with art industry trends. I realized that even though I enjoyed my time as a soldier, whether good or bad, I was happ...

The Last Mayo Potter Juany Gámez By SAMIRAH STEINMEYER Juany is the last practicing Yoreme potter in her Mayo community, and she is committed to reviving the craft so that the tradition can persist for the benefit of future generations.

The Annual Ceramic Arts Lecture is a co-presentation of Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Everson Museum of Art, and the Chronicles of American Ceramics Foundation. The lecture series has been transcribed and prepared for publication by Studio Potter .

The Annual Ceramic Arts Lecture is a co-presentation of Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Everson Museum of Art, and the Chronicles of American Ceramics Foundation. The lecture series has been transcribed and prepared for publication by Studio Potter .

Wild Glazes from Your Backyard, by Hamish Jackson. "Local materials offer endless possibilities and variety. A couple of years ago, I set out on a quest to make a palate of four stoneware glazes from one locally sourced rock. I did not want four shades of beige, but a palate of distinctly different glazes. The parameter I set was to use at least 50% of one single source rock in each of these glaze...

In the archival version of our podcast, we bring back the voices of potters from our early Print publication. In today’s episode, Gerry Williams interviews Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011). His feature of Toshiko was published in our Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1993 issue. The interview lasted over 1 and a half hours and we have split this conversation into two parts; this first part covers Toshiko’s upbringin...

In the archival version of our podcast, we bring back the voices of potters from our early Print publication. In today’s episode, Gerry Williams interviews Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011). His feature of Toshiko was published in our Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1993 issue. The interview lasted over 1 and a half hours and we have split this conversation into two parts; this first part covers Toshiko’s upbringin...

Rootedness – The Power of Peace By Richard Zane Smith "Pottery wasn't made when there were threats of war and bloodshed. When examining ancient sherds and tool marks, one can sense the kind of peace and calm that it took to make long, unwavering parallel lines, to notch the rims with careful repeating indentations, and to spend time making what was to become more than a simple container. It was a...

The following is a live interview of Frances Senska, which was summarized in "Eleven Montana Potters," published in the June 1979, Copper Reds / Leach - Vol. 8 No. 1. The interview was conducted and transcribed by Gerry Williams.