Centered: - Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art

Centered:
Early Works by Peter Voulkos from the Wells Fargo Bank Collection
Centered:
Early Works by Peter Voulkos
From the Wells Fargo Bank Collection
Presented by
June 21-September 10, 2011
Reception 5:30-7:30pm, June 21st
Sponsored by
This project is supported by the Montana Arts Council, a state agency funded by the State of Montana
and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by museum members and
the Citizens of Cascade County.
Untitled platter (CR512.14-G), circa 1952, 2 1/4 x 13 1/4”
Photograph above, front cover and back cover by Corey Gross
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Untitled bottle/vase (CR510.2-G), circa 1952
15 1/4 x 10” in diameter
Centered: Early Works by Peter Voulkos from the Wells Fargo Bank Collection is a highlight in a
series of three exhibitions presented at The Square as part of a statewide celebration of The
Archie Bray Foundation’s 60th Anniversary. Regarded as one of the best known ceramics residency programs in the United States, The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts is a nonprofit, educational institution founded in 1951 by brick maker Archie Bray. “The Bray’s” primary
mission is to provide an environment that stimulates creative work in ceramics.
Peter Voulkos (1924 -2002) is often credited as the father of Contemporary ceramics. This exhibition
provides a rare opportunity for the public to view formative works by Voulkos that are indicative
of his functional pottery from the early 1950s, pre-dating his breakthrough expressionistic style
that re-defined the aesthetic and technical limits of ceramics world-wide.
Born in Bozeman, Montana, Peter Voulkos studied with Frances Senska at Montana State
University in Bozeman. In 1951, he and his classmate, Rudy Autio, became the first resident
Directors of the newly formed Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana,
which was founded on the grounds of the Western Clay Manufacturing Company, a family business
owned and operated by Archie Bray. Archie was a second generation brick maker who
envisioned “a place to make available for all who are seriously and sincerely interested in any
of the branches of the ceramic arts, a fine place to work.” Pete and Rudy assisted Archie and
a slew of volunteers who laid up the bricks of the original pottery building. They would spend
their days working for the Western Clay Manufacturing Company, or according to the accounts
of Branson Stevenson, a clay enthusiast from Great Falls, throwing pots that could be sold out
of the “Bray’s pottery” to support the foundation. The pottery in this exhibition remains as a
testament to Peter Voulkos’ knowledge of functional ceramics production. Wells Fargo Bank’s
dedication to this collection is an example of private and public stewardship that ensures that
Pete’s artistic legacy will not be forgotten in his native state. We thank the professionals at Wells
Fargo for their work preserving these treasures, lending these treasures to our celebration and for their
continued support of The Square and its programs. We extend special thanks to John Koppleman,
President, Wells Fargo Bank, Great Falls, Montana, for his support in making this presentation possible.
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Untitled bowl (CR512.13-G), circa 1952
8 1/2 x 10 1/2” in diameter
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Untitled covered bowl (CR511.2-G), circa 1952
9 1/2 x 13” in diameter
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Untitled covered jar (CR513.3-G), circa 1952
17 1/2 x 7” in diameter
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Untitled covered jar (CR513.1-G), circa 1952
19 1/4 x 10” in diameter
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Untitled bowl (CR512.12-G), circa 1952
4 7/8 x 4” in diameter
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Untitled teapot (CR505.14-G), circa 1952
10 1/4 x 8 x 7”
Untitled tea bowl (CR505.15-G), circa 1952
3 5/16 x 4 1/2” in diameter
Untitled covered bowl (CR514.15-G), circa 1952
7 1/4 x 6” in diameter
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Untitled covered jar (CR504.1-G), circa 1952
9 1/4 x 11” in diameter
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Untitled covered jar (CR514.14-G), circa 1952
15 1/8 x 13” in diameter
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Untitled covered bowl (CR5514.16-G), circa 1952
7 12 x 6” in diameter
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Untitled vase (CR510.3-G), circa 1952
8 1/2 x 7 1/2” in diameter
Aerial view of the Western Clay Manufactory Company and
home of the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, 1956.
Photo courtesy of the Archie Bray Foundation.
The first workshop held at the Archie Bray Foundation.
Left to right: Dr. Soetsu Yanagi, Bernard Leach, Rudy Autio,
Peter Voulkos and Shoji Hamada. December 1952.
Photo courtesy of the Archie Bray Foundation.
Historical tile factory located on the grounds of the Archie Bray Foundation, 2009.
Photo by J. David, courtesy of the Archie Bray Foundation.
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PROFESSIONAL TEACHING
1952-54
Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, Montana
1953
Black Mountain College, Asheville, North Carolina (Summer)
1954-59
Los Angeles County Art Institute
1958, 59
University of Montana, Missoula (Summers)
1960-62 & 64
Greenwich House Pottery, New York Teachers’ College, Columbia
University (Summers)
1959-85
University of California, Berkeley. Retired in 1985.
Peter Voulkos, 1952
Photo provided courtesy of the Archie Bray Foundation.
Peter Voulkos was born January 29, 1924, in Bozeman, Montana, to Greek-born parents,
Efrosine and Harry Voulkos, and died February 16, 2002 in Bowling Green, Ohio.
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EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Applied Art, 1951, Montana State College, Bozeman.
Master of Fine Arts, 1952, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland.
SELECTED HONORS, AWARDS, CITATIONS
• UNITED STATES POTTERS ASSOCIATION PRIZE, 1950, 15th National Ceramic Exhibition, Syracuse
Museum of Fine Arts, New York.
• ABRAHAM AND STRAUS GENERAL AWARD, 1953, Designer Craftsmen USA, Brooklyn Museum, New York.
• MEDAL OF HONOR for Best Design and Craftsmanship in Any Medium, 1954, Ninth National
Decorative Arts-Ceramic Exhibition, Wichita Art Association, Kansas.
• GOLD MEDAL, 1955, International Exposition of Ceramics, Palais Miramar, Cannes, France.
• SILVER MEDAL, 1959, 2nd International Congress of Contemporary Ceramics, Museum
voor Schone Kunsten, Ostend, Belgium.
• PURCHASE AWARD, 1959, Artists of Los Angeles and Vicinity, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California.
• RODIN MUSEUM PRIZE, 1959, First Paris Biennale, Musee d’art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France.
• FORD FOUNDATION PURCHASE AWARD, 1963, 82nd Annual Exhibition of the San Francisco
Art Institute, San Francisco Museum of Art, California.
• COMMISSION AWARD, 1967, San Francisco Hall of Justice Competition, California.
• HONORARY DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS, 1968, Montana State University, Bozeman.
• FELLOWSHIP GRANT, 1971, Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, New York, New York
• HONORARY DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS, 1972, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland.
• HONORARY MEMBER of the Council, 1972, National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts.
• MEMBER, 1975, Academy of Fellows, American Craft Council, New York, New York
• MEMBER, 1975-78, Advisory Screening Committee in Art and Art History, Council for International
Exchange of Scholars, Fulbright Committee, Washington, DC.
• CRAFTSMAN’S FELLOWSHIP GRANT, 1978, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC.
• AWARD OF HONOR for Outstanding Contributions to the Visual Arts, 1979, California State
Fair and Exposition, Sacramento.
• HONORARY DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS, 1980, Otis Institute of Parsons School of Design, Los Angeles, California.
• CITATION for Distinguished Contributions to the Visual Arts, 1980, National Association of
Schools of Art.
• AWARD OF HONOR for Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Art, 1981, San Francisco
Art Commission, California.
• CREATIVE ARTS AWARD FOR SCULPTURE, 1982, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.
• HONORARY DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS, 1982, San Francisco Art Institute, California.
• GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP, 1984, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New York, New York.
• MONTANA GOVERNOR’S AWARD FOR THE ARTS, 1985, Helena, Montana.
• GOLD MEDAL, 1986, American Crafts Council, New York, New York.
• VISUAL ARTISTS FELLOWSHIP GRANT, 1986, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC.
• LOUISE NEVELSON AWARD IN ART, 1992, American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, New York.
• MEDAL, in Recognition of Contributions to American Ceramics, 1994, Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York.
• DISTINGUISHED ARTIST AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT, 1997, College Art Association.
• CERAMIC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR AWARD, 1997, Friends of Contemporary Ceramics.
• NCECA AWARD for TEACHING EXCELLENCE, 1997, National Council on Education for the
Ceramic Arts.
• MASTERS OF THE MEDIUM AWARD, 1997, James Renwick Alliance.
• HONORARY DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS, 1998, Kansas City Art Institute, Missouri.
• CHARLES FERGUS BINNS MEDAL FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN CERAMIC ART, 1998, School
of Art and Design, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, New York.
• HONORARY DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS, 1998, Alfred University, Alfred, New York.
• NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD, 2000, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, Colorado.
• MEMBER, 2001, American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, New York.
• VISIONARIE! AWARD, 2002, American Craft Museum, New York, New York.
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art is dedicated to fulfilling the artistic needs of the general public. This is
accomplished through:
* Fostering accessibility and understanding of modern, contemporary and self-taught art;
* Collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting art that actively engages a diverse and growing audience;
* Providing educational programming that inspires artistic expression and understanding;
* Expanding public knowledge of, interest in and support for the arts and artists of the region; and
* Serving as a cultural center, and continuing the preservation of the historically significant Paris Gibson
Square building.
Approved April 29, 2008 by the museum’s Board of Trustees
On-line catalog design and photography (except where noted) by Bob Durden.
© 2011 Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, all rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reprinted without written consent of the copyright holders.
Admission to the museum is free to the public courtesy of
1400 First Avenue. North
Great Falls, MT 59401
406-727-8255
www.the-square.org
info@the-square.org
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