Robert Blue and Susan Blue Galloway interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-10-01.
Husband and wife Robert Blue and Susan Galloway discuss their work as potters. Topics include (in order): their shared studio; their educations; how they got interested in pottery; Susan teaching ceramics at McHenry County College; Bob selling work at art fairs; starting the Clay Workers Guild of Illinois; raising a family; collaborating with neighbors on a yearly festival; the types of pottery they work…
Contributor:
McGriff, Meredith A. E. - Blue, Robert - Occupational Folklife Project - Galloway, Susan Blue
Date:2018-01-01
Audio Recording
Keith Hershberger interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-10-15.
Potter Keith Hershberger discusses his career, starting with his education, early work experiences (including teaching art and working for a production potter), and his recent shift to full-time production work. He also talks about his time as a co-op member at Union Project, and his involvement in the establishment of the Highland Park Pottery Tour with other local potters. He describes his current work,…
Contributor:
McGriff, Meredith A. E. - Hershberger, Keith - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2018-01-01
Audio Recording
Jenna Vanden Brink interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-10-15.
Jenna Vanden Brink talks about her career as a potter. She explains that she became interested after seeing her father work with clay, then pursued an art degree. After working for many years for the ceramics program at Union Project, a community art center, she made the shift to working full-time in clay. She describes the ways her work has developed, how she sells…
Contributor:
McGriff, Meredith A. E. - Vanden Brink, Jenna - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2018-01-01
Audio Recording
Mark Nafziger interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-10-22
Mark Nafziger, the owner of Brush Creek Pottery, discusses his work as a potter. The pottery is part of Sauder Village, a tourist attraction which houses a number of craftspeople making both historical and contemporary objects. Mark talks about his education, the establishment of Brush Creek Pottery, his relationship with others at Sauder Village, the development of his production line, some of the changes…
Contributor:
Nafziger, Mark - Occupational Folklife Project - McGriff, Meredith A. E.
Date:2018
Audio Recording
Samantha Hostert interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-11-17.
Potter and teacher Samantha Hostert talks about her career teaching and working in clay. After teaching high school art and then working for Lillstreet Art Center in various roles, she is making the shift to producing pottery full-time. The interview covers many topics, including: her education and work background, the development of her pottery style, seeking input from others, her teaching philosophy, ideas about…
Contributor:
McGriff, Meredith A. E. - Occupational Folklife Project - Hostert, Samantha
Date:2018-01-01
Audio Recording
Richard Lehman interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-11-16.
Potter Richard "Dick" Lehman discusses his career, including his shift from religious work to pottery; learning to run a business; establishing a building where many craftspeople/ artists had retail shops; getting advice from other potters; supporting his employees at the pottery and how they contributed; planning a sabbatical while self-employed; responding to customers' needs; the many entities that contribute to the local arts community;…
Contributor:
McGriff, Meredith A. E. - Lehman, Dick - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2018-01-01
Audio Recording
Laurel Eshelman and Paul Eshelman interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-11-18.
Husband and wife Paul Eshelman and Laurel Eshelman discuss running Eshelman Pottery in Elizabeth, Illinois. Topics include Paul's education in ceramics and product design, starting the business, how the two of them divide the work, selling work at art fairs, moving to a more affordable, rural area and finding like-minded people in the farming community, having their children work at the pottery, and having…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Eshelman, Laurel - Eshelman, Paul - McGriff, Meredith A. E.
Date:2018-01-01
Audio Recording
Delores Fortuna interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-11-19.
Potter Delores Fortuna talks about her career in clay, from her education at the University of Chicago, her teaching positions (including at the Art Institute of Chicago), to producing work in her own small studio in northwestern Illinois, where she helped start the Twenty Dirty Hands pottery tour. She discusses the many art centers and tours she has helped to start throughout her career,…
Contributor:
McGriff, Meredith A. E. - Occupational Folklife Project - Fortuna, Delores
Date:2018-01-01
Audio Recording
Mark Skudlarek interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2019-01-05.
Potter Mark Skudlarek, owner of Cambridge Wood-Fired Pottery, discusses his career and his craft. He talks about his training: first in college, then in La Borne, France, and as Todd Piker's apprentice. He tells of working for Rockville Union Stoneware and opening his own studio. He describes building his studio and kiln, wood firing, sourcing wood, mixing clay, and having an apprentice of his…
Contributor:
Skudlarek, Mark - Occupational Folklife Project - McGriff, Meredith A. E.
Date:2019-01-01
Audio Recording
Elizabeth Nishitateno and Hironobu Nishitateno interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2019-01-06.
Potter Hironobu "Nishi" Nishitateno and his wife and business partner Elizabeth Nishitateno discuss their work. Nishi was trained in Japan, where he and Elizabeth met. After starting his career in Japan, they moved to the United States, where he now makes pottery and sells work at art fairs. They discuss their division of labor, the challenges of working in a different culture, participating in…
Contributor:
Nishitateno, Hironobu - McGriff, Meredith A. E. - Occupational Folklife Project - Nishitateno, Elizabeth
Date:2019-01-01
Audio Recording
Rick Hintze interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2019-01-06.
Potter Rick Hintze discusses his career. He talks about the places where he studied art and pottery, and shares his thoughts about teaching art at various colleges in Illinois, North Dakota, Indiana, Iowa, and, finally, Wisconsin. Rick also talks about working in a production pottery, developing his own work, setting up his own studio; and participating in the local Earth, Wood, and Fire artist…
Contributor:
Hintze, Rick - Occupational Folklife Project - McGriff, Meredith A. E.
Audio RecordingRobert Blue and Susan Blue Galloway interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-10-01. Husband and wife Robert Blue and Susan Galloway discuss their work as potters. Topics include (in order): their shared studio; their educations; how they got interested in pottery; Susan teaching ceramics at McHenry County College; Bob selling work at art fairs; starting the Clay Workers Guild of Illinois; raising a family; collaborating with neighbors on a yearly festival; the types of pottery they work…
Audio RecordingKeith Hershberger interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-10-15. Potter Keith Hershberger discusses his career, starting with his education, early work experiences (including teaching art and working for a production potter), and his recent shift to full-time production work. He also talks about his time as a co-op member at Union Project, and his involvement in the establishment of the Highland Park Pottery Tour with other local potters. He describes his current work,…
Audio RecordingJenna Vanden Brink interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-10-15. Jenna Vanden Brink talks about her career as a potter. She explains that she became interested after seeing her father work with clay, then pursued an art degree. After working for many years for the ceramics program at Union Project, a community art center, she made the shift to working full-time in clay. She describes the ways her work has developed, how she sells…
Audio RecordingMark Nafziger interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-10-22 Mark Nafziger, the owner of Brush Creek Pottery, discusses his work as a potter. The pottery is part of Sauder Village, a tourist attraction which houses a number of craftspeople making both historical and contemporary objects. Mark talks about his education, the establishment of Brush Creek Pottery, his relationship with others at Sauder Village, the development of his production line, some of the changes…
Audio RecordingSamantha Hostert interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-11-17. Potter and teacher Samantha Hostert talks about her career teaching and working in clay. After teaching high school art and then working for Lillstreet Art Center in various roles, she is making the shift to producing pottery full-time. The interview covers many topics, including: her education and work background, the development of her pottery style, seeking input from others, her teaching philosophy, ideas about…
Audio RecordingRichard Lehman interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-11-16. Potter Richard "Dick" Lehman discusses his career, including his shift from religious work to pottery; learning to run a business; establishing a building where many craftspeople/ artists had retail shops; getting advice from other potters; supporting his employees at the pottery and how they contributed; planning a sabbatical while self-employed; responding to customers' needs; the many entities that contribute to the local arts community;…
Audio RecordingLaurel Eshelman and Paul Eshelman interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-11-18. Husband and wife Paul Eshelman and Laurel Eshelman discuss running Eshelman Pottery in Elizabeth, Illinois. Topics include Paul's education in ceramics and product design, starting the business, how the two of them divide the work, selling work at art fairs, moving to a more affordable, rural area and finding like-minded people in the farming community, having their children work at the pottery, and having…
Audio RecordingDelores Fortuna interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2018-11-19. Potter Delores Fortuna talks about her career in clay, from her education at the University of Chicago, her teaching positions (including at the Art Institute of Chicago), to producing work in her own small studio in northwestern Illinois, where she helped start the Twenty Dirty Hands pottery tour. She discusses the many art centers and tours she has helped to start throughout her career,…
Audio RecordingMark Skudlarek interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2019-01-05. Potter Mark Skudlarek, owner of Cambridge Wood-Fired Pottery, discusses his career and his craft. He talks about his training: first in college, then in La Borne, France, and as Todd Piker's apprentice. He tells of working for Rockville Union Stoneware and opening his own studio. He describes building his studio and kiln, wood firing, sourcing wood, mixing clay, and having an apprentice of his…
Audio RecordingElizabeth Nishitateno and Hironobu Nishitateno interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2019-01-06. Potter Hironobu "Nishi" Nishitateno and his wife and business partner Elizabeth Nishitateno discuss their work. Nishi was trained in Japan, where he and Elizabeth met. After starting his career in Japan, they moved to the United States, where he now makes pottery and sells work at art fairs. They discuss their division of labor, the challenges of working in a different culture, participating in…
Audio RecordingRick Hintze interview conducted by Meredith McGriff, 2019-01-06. Potter Rick Hintze discusses his career. He talks about the places where he studied art and pottery, and shares his thoughts about teaching art at various colleges in Illinois, North Dakota, Indiana, Iowa, and, finally, Wisconsin. Rick also talks about working in a production pottery, developing his own work, setting up his own studio; and participating in the local Earth, Wood, and Fire artist…