MFA Programs in the U.S. and Canada that Support Utilitarian Clay

Following developments in mainstream art, many university ceramics programs across the U.S. and Canada have chosen to focus on sculptural and conceptual approaches in clay, abandoning coverage of the practice of utilitarian pottery and often diminishing emphasis on materials, process, and technique, leaving the student with "a very shallow toolbox of skills," as stated by a recent NYU graduate in ceramics.  

Fortunately, there are plenty of university art departments that have resisted this trend.  The following is a list of pottery-friendly MFA programs in the US and Canada that continue to support utilitarian clay as a possible choice for graduate study and MFA thesis.  This list is intended as a general guideline, and it is still the responsibility of the individual applicant for graduate study to do her/his research and find the most suitable programs.   

Alfred University - Wayne Higby (potter/sculptor), Linda Sikkora (potter) Anne Currier (sculptor), John Gill (potter/sculptor), Andrea Gill (potter/sculptor), Walter McConnell (sculptor)

Arizona State University - Kurt Weiser (potter), Sam Chung (potter, starting at ASU fall, 2007), Susan Beiner (sculptor)

Bowling Green State University - John Balistreri (potter/sculptor), Steve Roberts (potter)

Clemson University - Mike Vatalaro (potter/sculptor), Sue Grier (potter)

East Carolina University - Jim Tisnado (potter/sculptor) and Seo Eo (sculptor)

Eastern Michigan University - Diana Pancioli (potter), Y. K. Lee (sculptor)  

Eastern Tennessee State University - Don Davis (potter)

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania - Lee Rexrode (potter), Chuck Johnson (sculptor), Steve Kemenyffy (sculptor)

Florida Atlantic University - John McCoy (potter), Angel Dicosola (sculptor)

Georgia State University - Kathy King (potter), Mark Burleson (potter/sculptor)

Indiana State University - Dick Hay (potter)

Indiana University - Tim Mather (potter/sculptor), Malcolm Mobutu Smith (potter), Christyl Boger (sculptor)

Kansas State University - Anna Calluori Holcombe (sculptor), Yoshiro Ikeda (sculptor) (no potters on staff, but faculty affirms a commitment to utilitarian clay as a possible focus)

Kent State University - Kirk Mangus (potter), Eva Kwong (sculptor, part-time faculty)

Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge - Bobby Silverman (sculptor/potter), Michalene Walsh (sculptor/potter)

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design - Walter Ostrom (potter), Joan Bruneau (potter), Neil Forrest (sculptor)

Ohio State University - Rebecca Harvey (potter), Steve Thurston (sculptor), Mary Jo Bole (sculptor)

Ohio University - Brad Schweiger (potter), Chuck McWeeny (sculptor), Joe Bova (sculptor), Robert "Boomer" Moore (potter), Alex Hibbitt (sculptor)

Penn State - Chris Staley (potter), Liz Quackenbush (potter/sculptor)

Rhode Island School of Design - Larry Bush (potter), Denise Pelletier (sculptor/potter), Linda Sormin (sculptor)

Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Craftsmen – Rick Hirsch (potter/sculptor), Julia Galloway (potter)

San Diego State University - Richard Burkett (potter/sculptor), Joanne Hayakawa (sculptor)

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale - Harris Deller (potter/sculptor), Patti Chalmers (sculptor)

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville - Matt Wilt (potter/sculptor), Paul Dresang (potter/sculptor)

Southern Methodist University - Peter Beasecker (potter)

State University of New York-New Paltz - Mary Roehm (sculptor/potter), Anat Shiftan (sculptor), Ayumi Horie (potter - adjunct faculty)

Texas A&M Corpus Christi - Louis Katz (potter/sculptor), Gregory Reutor (sculptor)

Texas Tech University - Juan Granados (sculptor), Von Venhuizen, (potter/sculptor)

Tulane University - Bill DePauw (sculptor/potter), Jeremy Jernegan (sculptor)

University of Alabama - Lowell Baker (potter/sculptor)

University of Colorado - Jeanne Quinn (sculptor), Kim Dickey (sculptor), Scott Chamberlin (sculptor) (no potters on staff, but faculty affirms a commitment to utilitarian clay as a possible focus)

University of Florida - Linda Arbuckle (potter), Nan Smith (sculptor)

University of Georgia - Ted Saupe (potter, sculptor), Sun Koo Yuh (sculptor)

University of Iowa - Bunny McBride (potter), Jill Lawley (potter/sculptor - one-year appointment)

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth - Jim Lawton (potter/sculptor), Rebecca Hutchinson (sculptor)

University of Miami - Bonnie Seeman (potter)

University of Minnesota-Minneapolis - Mark Pharis (potter), Testsuya Yamada (sculptor), Tom Lane (sculptor)

University of Mississippi - Matt Long (potter)

University of Missouri-Columbia - Bede Clark (potter/sculptor), David S. East (sculptor)  

University of Montana - Beth Lo (potter/sculptor), Tom Rippon (sculptor/potter), David Regan (sculptor/potter)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Pete Pinnell (potter), Gail Kendall (potter), Eddie Dominguez (sculptor)  

University of New Mexico - Gina Bobrowski (potter/sculptor), Bill Gilbert (sculptor)

University of Oklahoma - Jane Aebersold (potter), V'Lou Oliveira (sculptor)

University of Tennessee-Knoxville - Frank Martin (potter), Sally Brogden (sculptor)

Utah State University   John Neely (potter), Daniel Murphy (potter)

West Virginia University - Bob Anderson (potter), Joe Zeller (Potter)

Wichita State University - Ted Adler (potter/sculptor), Annie Stradder (sculptor, on three-year appointment)