John H. Stephenson, Member of IAC (International Academy of Ceramics)
Ann Arbor, Michigan
EDUCATION
1958 M.F.A. Cranbrook Academy of Art
1952 B.A. Ed. University of Northern Iowa
DEANSHIP
1991-93 Interim Dean, School of Art, University of Michigan
TEACHING
1959-95, Professor of Art, School of Art, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
1995 Catherine B. Heller Distinguished Professor Emeritus
1990 Centro Sperimentale d'Arte, Puerto Ronco, Switzerland
1988, 96 Haystack School, Deer Isle, Maine
1969 Penland School for Crafts, Penland, North Carolina
1965 University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
1958, 59 Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
1958 Maryland Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
RECOGNITIONS
2002 Elected to the NCECA “Honor of the Council”
2000 Elected member of International Academy of Ceramics (IAC)
1992 Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree awarded Grand Valley State University
1990 Awarded Catherine B. Heller Distinguished Professorship
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2012 "New World: Timeless Visions" IAC Biennial Exhibition New Mexico, Museum of Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico
"Crafting Modernism" Mid Century American Art and Design Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY
2010 "Looking at the Land" A Rural View: 2 Person Exhibition, Gallery One, Ann Arbor, MI
"In The Clay Birds Nest" A retrospective of John Stephenson, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, Birmingham, MI
2009 “Pillars”- Four Decades of Clay John/Susanne, College of Creative Studies, Detroit, MI
2008 “International Contemporary Ceramic Exhibition- Masters in Clay” Ceramic Museum, Jingdezhen, China
“Michigan Ceramics 2008” Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI
“IAC Members Exhibition” Xian, Shanxi Province, China
2007 “Ceramics Invitational” U of T, Downtown Gallery, Knoxville, TN
Opening Exhibition, FLICAN, Fuping, CHINA
“All the Difference: Works in Clay,” Emily Davis Gallery, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
“Group Show,” Charlie Cummings Clay Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN
Abstract Clay Sculpture, Philadelphia, PA
2006 “Clay/1O,” River Gallery, Chelsea, MI
“AIC Members Exhibition, Riga, LATVIA
“Landscape,” Pewabic, Detroit, MI
IAC Members Show, Broderick Gallery, Portland, OR
2005 Ann Arbor Art Center with Susanne , Ann Arbor, MI
2004 IAC Members Exhibition, World Ceramic Center, Icheon , Korea
IAC New Members (1999-2001) Ariana Museum, Geneva, Switzerland
2003 21st Century Ceramics, Invitational, Columbus, OH
Washington Street Gallery, with Susanne, Ann Arbor, MI
Michigan Potters Association, BBAC and Dennos Museums, Merit Award, MI
2002 “Talking Hands,” with Susanne, Midland Art Center, Midland, MI
Pfizor Headquarters, Ann Arbor, MI
International Academy of Ceramics Exhibition, Athens, Greece
2001 Korean World Ceramics Exposition, 2001, IAC, Korea
Clay Cup VIII, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, Purchase award
2000 International Invitational, Shiwan and Jingdezhen, PR China
International Academy of Ceramics, KERAMION, Frechen, Germany
NCECA Exhibition, Denver, Colorado
1999 Invitational, Residential College, University of Michigan
1998 Michigan Ceramics, Center for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI
Award 4th prize, juror ceramist Andrea Gill
Yixing Museum, International Conference, Yixing, China
Speaking Volumes in Form, two person show with Susanne. Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI
1997 Clay Dominant, Detroit Artists Market, Detroit, MI
Dehaan Arts Center, University of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN
Ceramics ‘97, Gilford Handcraft Center, Guilford, CT
1996 REVOLUTION, Solo Exhibition, Ferndale, MI
Michigan Ceramics '96, Awarded 1st Prize, juror ceramist Jack Earl
Collections Cups, Gallerie Handwerk, Koblenz, Germany
3rd Oregon Clay Invitational, Linfield College, McMinnville, OR
Tustin Renaissance Ceramic Invitational, Tustin, CA
NCECA Invitational Exhibition, Rochester, NY
1995 John Stephenson: After the Fire, A Retrospective, Museum of Art and Slusser Gallery at the School of Art, 2 part exhibition U of M campus
University of Central Florida National Ceramics Invitational, Orlando, FL
1995 1st Exhibition American Ceramics, Collection of Czech Ceramic Design
1994 Bechyne International Ceramics Symposium in Louny, Czech Republic
1992 One Person Show, Swidler, Royal Oak, MI
1991 Shigaraki Symposium, Shigaraki, Japan
1990 One person show, Waterloo Museum of Art, Waterloo, IA
One person show, Swidler Gallery, Royal Oak, MI
1988 Sustained Visions, 2 person with Susanne, Focus Gallery, Detroit
1985 John and Susanne Stephenson - A Retrospective 1963-84, Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, Michigan
1984 The Homecoming, a traveling show of work by Iowa born artists
1983 Clay Outside the Vessel, One Man Show, University of Michigan
Cranbrook Ceramics 1950-1980, Cranbrook Museum of Art
1980 Clay Attitudes, Queens Museum, Flushing, New York
1979 Century of Ceramics in the U.S.A., Syracuse, New York
1977 Ceramic Conjunction, Long Beach, California
1976 Bicentennial sculpture exhibition, East Lansing, MI
1969 Objects U.S.A., Smithsonian, Washington, DC
1966 One Man Show, Alfred University, Alfred, New York
1965 XXIII Concorso Internationale della Ceramica D'Arte, Faenza, Italy, 4th prize gold medal
1963 Tamayo Gallery, Fukuoka, Japan
1962 22nd Ceramic National, Syracuse, New York
1959 Fiber, Clay and Metal, St. Paul, Minnesota, best of show award
COLLECTIONS Objects U.S.A., Alfred University, Ohio State University, Parish Museum of Art, Oklahoma University, Otterbein College, Adrian College, Portland Museum of Art, Cranbrook Museum of Art, Eastern Michigan University, Detroit Institute of Art, Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York City, Plains Museum, Faenza Museum, Faenza, Italy, Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague, Czech Republic, Dow Automotive, Keramion Museum, Frechen, Germany, American Ceramic Museum, Flican, Fuping China, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, U of NY, SUNY Fredonia, New York, NY and many corporate and private collections.
GRANTS Rackham Grants resulting in a one year study in Japan(62-63) study
of large scale ceramic sculpture, study of mixed media and the study of
color in three dimensions.
Artist Grant, National Endowment for the Arts 1986-87
Artist Grant, Michigan Council for the Arts 1989-90
Award from Dean of the Rackham School Discretionary Fund 1989-90
Award grant Office of the Vice President for Research, UM 1994
Research grant, Asian Cultural Council, NY, NY, Chinese Ceramic Folk Art 2000
FOREIGN STUDY Germany '55, Japan 62-63 & 91, Spain '73, Mexico '81, Nepal '84 ,Peru '87,
Czech Republic ’94, P.R. China’95, ’98,’00, Japan ’97 and Denmark ‘01.
COMMISSIONS Collaboration with Louis Redstone, First Federal Building, Troy, MI
Corten and porcelain sculpture, Michigan Mall, Battle Creek, MI
PUBLICATIONS Over Sea Contemporary Ceramic Art Classics (pictured cover and center fold)
Bai Ming, published in China. Author of numerous articles in Studio Potter, Ceramic Monthly , Ceramics : Art and Perception, CeramicsART (Czech), Chinese Potters Newsletter (China) and work covered in American Ceramics and American Craft. Photographs of work and writings about the artist's work in magazines and books including Rhodes', Clay and Glazes, Nelson's Ceramics, Nordness' Objects: U.S.A., Peterson’s Craft and Art of Clay, Donhauser's History of Ceramics, Clark and Hughto's Century of Ceramics in the U.S.A. and Frith's Mold Making, Perryman's Smoke-Fired Pottery, and Zakins' Ceramics .
OTHER ACTIVITIES NCECA recognition, Honorary Member of the Council, 2002
Elected member of IAC, International Academy of Ceramics 2000
Board Member of Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, from 1986 to 1995.
Juror on the Crafts Panel, Illinois Council for the Arts, 1989.
Juror on the Crafts Panel, NEA , Washington, D.C., 1988
Co-hosted in March 1980, NCECA conference on the campus with colleague Georgette Zirbes.
Over 1500 ceramists were in attendance from the US, Canada and other nations.
Hosted Shoji Hamada on the U of M campus in 1969 during the Voices of Civilization celebration.