One of the earliest forms of creating Utilitarian Ware Pinch Pots One of the earliest forms of creating Utilitarian Ware

Example from prehistoric Native American potters of the Southwestern deserts of the United States. These early potters learned their craft from peoples to the south, from Mexico, introducing it into the Southwest early in the first millennium. 

Pre-Columbian or Prehistoric Mexico

Pennsylvania Archaeology Archaeologists often refer to these as “toy pots” because of their crude construction and childlike qualities. Women were likely responsible for making clay pots for cooking and storage, as men assumed the role of hunters who would travel seasonally large distances from the village.  If women were making pottery and caring for young children, it is likely that involvement in the task of making pottery developed at an early age.  While this could be considered an educational toy, it also lends itself to creative thought.

Eastern United States, Woodland Period 500-900 AD, Pinch Pot Discovered in St. Augustine, Florida Early Woodland period (1000–1 BC) Middle Woodland period (1–500 AD) Late Woodland period (500–1000 AD) The major technological advancement during this period was the widespread use of pottery and the increasing sophistication of its forms and decoration.

Notable Contemporary Ceramic Artists BIRDIE BOONE www.birdiebooneceramics.com Birdie Boone is a maker of tableware and a researcher of the domestic realm, especially of social tendencies and their effects on personal identity with regard to food and modern lifestyle. Birdie received her BA in Fine Arts from The College of William and Mary in Virginia in 1994 and an MFA in Artisanry/Ceramics from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth in 2005. Notably, she was a long-term resident artist at The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana, from 2007 to 2009. Birdie currently lives and maintains a full-time studio practice in rural southwestern Virginia.

Notable Contemporary Ceramic Artists LILLY ZUCKERMAN www.lillyzuckerman.com Lilly Zuckerman is originally from Pittsburgh and grew up in rural Greensburg, PA on a farm with horses, geese, chickens, dogs, cats, and magical woods. In 2010 Zuckerman received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics with an Art History minor from The Pennsylvania State University. While there she was funded to conduct research in Morocco on contemporary ceramics. Morocco's adobe architecture, diverse geology from the Sahara Desert to the Atlas Mountains, and unglazed earthenware cooking vessels continue to influence her work. Zuckerman’s work has been made possible by residencies at The Archie Bray Foundation, The Anderson Ranch Arts Center, The Clay Studio of Missoula, and a brief time in residence at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. She has exhibited nationally at Trax Gallery in California, The Clay Studio in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, The Archie Bray Foundation in Montana, The Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, The Clay Arts Center in New York, and in the ArtStream Nomadic Gallery. Her work has been published in Ceramics Art & Perception, Ceramics Monthly, Pottery Making Illustrated, "The Art of Contemporary Pottery" by Kevin Hulch, digital edition, and "The New Ceramics: Sculpting and Handbuilding" by Claire Loder from A&C Black Publishers.  In the fall of 2014 Zuckerman pursued her Masters of Fine Art in Ceramics at The University of Colorado.

Notable Contemporary Ceramic Artists INGRID BATHE http://ingridbathe.com I studied ceramics as an undergraduate at the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, and after managing a few studios and doing a residency, I continued my studies at Ohio University in Athens where I received a master’s degree in 2003.

How to Form a Pinch Pot

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Sascha Brastoff Tom Able

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Kristin Doner