Chris Donald Pottery

I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Center for Creative Studies – CAD in Detroit, Michigan, in Crafts with a Ceramics Major and Fiber Design Minor. Composed primarily of studio classes, Crafts majors were required to develop competence in woodworking, glassblowing, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry. On top of our craft classes we needed to have the same foundations as the Fine Arts majors including figure drawing, painting, color theory, sculpture, and art history. I worked as a production potter for 8 years, during which time I was also the head of the Pottery at Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum, a fully functional production pottery with twelve employees, including two full time wheel throwers, producing over $500,000 in historically reproduced ceramics each year.

I have worked in clay for 20 years and although much of it was spent working as a production wheel thrower my gallery work is primarily hand built. Most of my work is functional and my images, forms, and ideas come largely from natural objects. There is also a strong narrative element to my work which comes partially from writing children’s stories. I have taught at Center for Creative Studies, Trenton High School, Henry Ford Community College, and Boston University. I look forward to getting to know the community of artists in North Carolina and to teaching at Art & Soul and sharing my artwork in the gallery.