The Magic of Clay and Meaningful Mentorship

Peter and his Communal Eating Platter #2

The ACWL-Nuveen’s current exhibition – Peter ‘the Potter’ Johnson: Art of Apprenticeship, May 1 – June 7 makes a bold statement – even from Colby Street! Our front window has come alive with the large animated sculptural work of Peter Johnson and the oversized earthy textural tiles of Chester Winowiecki, one of his former apprentices. The exhibit is not a

retrospective per se of Peter’s work but a snapshot of styles and themes that have resonated with him throughout his 60+ years dedicated to clay. His commitment to being a successful potter/artist also extends to his belief in the ‘art of apprenticeship’. Since 1970 Peter has opened the doors to his Terrestrial Forming Pottery Studio to 31 curious individuals hoping to learn more about the workings of a production clay studio and themselves as artists.

The exhibit includes artwork from the following former apprentices: Reed Minty (1978), John

Dix (1983), Chandra Stubbs (1991), Jennifer Daugherty (1995), Chikako Kitaoka Dix (1998),

Chester Winowiecki (2000), Rachel Drelles (2007), Cody Breese Thomas (2009), Autumn

Aslakson (2010) and Kim Funk (2021), and an ‘informal apprentice’, Peter’s wife, Jan Johnson.

In her statement for the show Jan had this to say about apprentices working with Peter at

Terrestrial Forming, “we were a family and that’s what I think about and cherish now. We

worked together, helped each other, learned from each other, and oh, had great fun.” She

goes on to say about the legacy of Peter’s studio, “Some say the place is magical. I agree.”

Autumn Aslakson Jan, Peter & Chika Rachel Drelles Kim Funk

We invite you to stop by and visit the exhibit to take in the magic of clay. See firsthand how

Peter and his fellow artisans have expressed themselves through volume, form, texture and

rich glaze surfaces. The exhibit also includes engaging mixed media artwork, prints, and

paintings. You can also look forward to an excellent video coming out next week created by ACWL-Nuveen staff member Ian Martin. Filmed at Terrestrial Forming, the video features Peter 'the Potter' himself, along with former apprentice, Chester Winowiecki and current studio manager, Kim Funk.

There will be a closing reception for this show on Saturday June 7 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm.

This event is free and will feature an artist talk by Peter ‘the Potter’ Johnson starting at

1:15pm. We are located at 106 E. Colby Street – downtown Whitehall. Our business hours are Tuesday – Friday 11:00am – 5:30pm and Saturdays 11:00am – 3:00pm. For more information check out our website - www.artswhitelake.org/ - or email – nuveen@artswhitelake.org.