Stephani Stephenson on wed 18 dec 02
Actually the prejudice against 'pottery' in MFA programs goes back a
ways
I remember hearing a story about the Ceramics program at the U of O.
I believe the time period was the 40s and early 50s.
As with many colleges, the 'pottery' classes were taught by a woman
professor.
this was before the influence of the GI bill on college enrollment.
This was before the 'abstract expressionist' movement in the fifties
and sixties which so affected
clay work going on in college departments and the make up of those
departments.
As I say, a woman taught the classes at the UO, and was a full
professor, and her emphasis was hand thrown pottery ware, vessels.
She was not allowed to show her work , alongside the other art faculty,
during the annual faculty show at the art museum on campus.
Pottery was not considered art, and her work was not shown. Period.
This was relayed to me by an elderly docent at the museum .
Stephani Stephenson
steph@alchemiestudio.com
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