The Bailey Collection

The maker of our Mystery Pot 43 is Helen Naha, the matriarch of a Hopi-Tewa clan of potters who sign their pots with a stylized feather. Our pot is a beautiful example of her Black on White pottery. The Awatovi star design was revived by Feather Woman over her lifetime. One of several designs she developed from shards she collected from the Awatovi ruins.

Read on for a detailed biography of this remarkable Native American Pottery Legend by Grey Wolf Gallery in Arizona. Visit their website https://greywolfgalleryaz.com/ for old and current Native American Artist.

Wayne Higby is an acclaimed ceramic artist, beloved Professor of Ceramic Art at Alfred University, and Director of the Alfred University Ceramic Museum. Wayne Higby was born in 1943 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He received his BFA from the University of Colorado/Boulder in 1966. The landscapes of his youth were a lasting influence in his life and work.

The potter's life as lived by Gerry Williams was exceptional. Gerry Williams will always be remembered for his outstanding contributions to the field of ceramics.

Forty years of innovative ceramic work began with functional earthenware made with red clay he dug from New Hampshire's mudflats. Always changing and evolving, his lifetime body of work includes red earthenware, porcelain, and stoneware; gas-fired and wood-fired; functional ware, sculptural forms, wall plagues, and bold political sculpture. His original research in wet fire technique and his photo resist technique were groundbreaking.

Co-founding both Studio Potter and Phoenix Workshops with his wife Julie in 1972, the Williams were able to share Gerry's love of and enthusiasm for our humble medium worldwide. A potter's life well lived, indeed.

“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!