Remembering Stephen Fabrico (1948-2023)

Stephen Fabrico (1948-2023)

Steve Fabrico was a very talented and resilient potter; he was an enormously creative and interesting human being. Over his career, he always pushed the envelope and experimented with new forms in clay and creating dynamic stoneware glazes. He was well-known for his beautifully thrown tableware and later for his tall stately sculptures. I loved watching his growth and evolution as a potter over the many years I knew him. He worked extremely hard to stay fresh and current and his work reflected that commitment.

Steve was educated at SUNY New Paltz and made his debut at the Rhinebeck Craft Fair in the early 1970s. His work was an immediate hit and consequently he wrote many orders for his beautiful tableware and fanciful teapots. He wasn’t afraid to jump into new directions. When local large manufacturing businesses closed down and were selling off their contents, he loved to comb through the inventory to find forms that could be used to make interesting press molds for clay. He was very successful in that approach.

When the economy tanked in 2007, many potters struggled at the craft shows. I asked Steve how he was making out. He’d smile and say, “just fine.” He would design new lines that clicked in both form and cost structure. He was always busy being a maker and always had a strong market for his work.

Steve happened to have purchased our very first large gas kiln back in 1987. It was an all-fiber kiln front loader that was 40 cu ft of stacking space. He loved the fact it was so economical to fire and the results were great. Over his career of using it, he marveled that he only had to change the thermocouples and a burner speed controller. That was it during 30 years of use.

For about a 10 year period, Steve joined the Bailey Team at NCECA. He was a tireless and greatly valued addition and was always upbeat and helpful. He was willing to tackle any task. He would talk to prospective gas kiln customers, sharing his vast experience with our kilns. 

At dinners during NCECA, conversation was always lively. We would hear all about his daughter Hilary’s many accomplishments in the business world, his wife Sarah’s floral and landscaping business, his much loved dogs, his latest directions in clay, and his beloved garlic passion. He loved to attend the local garlic festival in Saugerties NY, tasting all the many garlic gastronomic delights and acquiring varieties of garlic to add to his own culinary creations. His garden at home featured an array of garlic varieties alongside his many other vegetables. 

We have a number of Steve’s wonderful functional pieces in our Bailey Pottery Collection, and 3 of his large sculptures in our home garden. They fit so nicely into the landscape, and are delightful to view throughout the seasons. He won numerous awards for his outdoor sculptures and showed them across the nation.

Thank you Steve for all the joy you brought to the world through your ambitious creative explorations in clay. You will be missed by all of us.

-Jim Bailey