Will Swanson and Ernest Miller make pottery in Minnesota near the Twin Cities. The presence of the mid-west landscape is obvious in the color, form, and imagery of their work. They also share influences from the Mingei-sota movement spurred by Warren Mackenzie's dedication to the Japanese Mingei style. Both artists are members of the St. Croix Pottery Tour, an event that has been bringing potters and collectors from around the country together for over 20 years.
Will Swanson
Will Swanson has been fashioningmstoneware clay into useful pots for the kitchen and table for thirty years. He takes pride in having his functional pots included in cupboards and at dinner tables to be experienced, as he says, “through the simple, aesthetic pleasures of everyday use.“
Will’s education includes a BA inSocial Welfare and an MA in Design from the University of Minnesota. Hisinspiration to make a life as a maker of pottery sprang from being intrigued byhandmade pots and potters who seemed able to nurture their creative productivity.
Will chooses to make pots that might attain a “satisfying simplicity” while allowing the character of the earth materials and the hand-making process to be evident. He allows that the use and perhaps the meaning of any pot is projected onto it by the user…which is the way it should be since the potter is busy creating more pots.
Ernest Miller
Ernest Miller is a ceramic artist working in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His ceramic art has been exhibited invarious regional and national art fairs including the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis, MN and Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, DC. Miller's work can also be found at The Grand Hand Gallery in St. Paul, MN and Schaller Gallery in Saint Joseph, MI. His ceramic techniques are shared through teaching classes at Fired Up Studios in Minneapolis, MN and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts in Wayzata, MN. His educational background includes an associates degree from Olney Central College in Olney, IL and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL.
