Examining the first women potters in America and their influence on contemporary ceramic art

Abstract

The goal of this research is to demonstrate artistic lineage and the intertwined history of early American women potters. This history shows how a technical process, pot or teacher has affected and created a lineage of artists and how they have continued to develop throughout the decades of the twentieth and into the twenty-first century. During the early 1900’s women in America were becoming artists, teachers and business owners. The roles of these women potters have been noted individually in biographies and historical overviews but many of their professional relationships overlapped and their particular achievements continued through students or associates. The method of this research involves historical research much like a family tree of professional and artistic developments. In this case the research starts with the individual and continues forward showing the propagation of development to the present. It is the combined history of these women that show the depth of their impact on American pottery in the twentieth century and the interrelationships between these women who taught and influenced each other and new generations of ceramic artists. This research will show detailed graphs and pictorial representations of the first women potters including their achievements and interrelationships. The presentation will demonstrate artistic lineage and the diverse achievements that influence contemporary ceramics.