The Bailey Collection

“That was the nice thing about clay,” he said. “If you didn’t like the way something really was, you could always fix it up,”

The exuberant, playful work of David James Gilhooly made him an international sensation in the late 60s through the early 80s. His whimsical ceramic creations began with animals, including zebras and anteaters, and then there were frogs, lots and lots of frogs.

Born into a long lineage of accomplished, traditional pueblo potters in 1970, Cavan Gonzales has added his unique 21st-century interpretation. He has been a leader in the revival of San Idelfonso polychrome pottery. This technique involves the application of three or more layers of colored slip to create designs. Cavan's fine graphic arts skills have been applied to creating new designs inspired not only from the past but also the present by adding elements of technology such as solar energy.

Bringing movement to the traditional forms of pottery has always been on James Lawton’s mind. Early work has floating furniture, falling pots, and clothing flying by as if inhabited by the Invisible Man. In many pieces, there are several constructed forms coming together to make a flowing, cohesive statement, while always maintaining the utilitarian functionality of his vessels, teapots, vases, and flasks.

Pottery Enthusiasts from the lower Hudson Valley visit Bailey Pottery Showroom and Factory

You guessed it, the maker was Bennett Bean! Mystery Pot 33, from the Bailey Collection of Ceramic Art made by Bennett Bean

“I first touched clay at age 40 and knew immediately that I had been a potter all along. I love to make pots! For me, the joy and the challenge comes from making things that will become an intimate part of the daily lives of others – pots that will be held, eaten from, poured from, sipped or even licked from. For me the making of pots is a way to celebrate the mundane rituals of daily life and to make them holy.”

Come visit Bailey in Kingston, NY this summer!

Two giants of the contemporary studio pottery movement passed away on the same day last Thursday. Both were important and influential leaders. We send our condolences to all who knew them and to their families who surely will miss these two dynamic potters.

Mystery Pot 30, Biography of the Artist

"I enjoy making pottery because it comes from inside," Lucy Lewis told The LA Times in 1984, speaking in Keresan, her tribal language.

Mystery Pot 29, The Artist and his Work