The Arts Council of White Lake -Nuveen (ACWL-Nuveen)’s current exhibition – Peter ‘the Potter’ Johnson: Art of Apprenticeship, May 1 – June 7 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. In this video, Peter discusses his work, his studio, his education, and his experiences both as an apprentice and as a mentor.
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.”
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. ACWL-Nuveen is located at 106 E. Colby Street – downtown Whitehall. Their business hours are Tuesday – Friday 11:00am – 5:30pm and Saturdays 11:00am – 3:00pm. For more information check out their website – www.artswhitelake.org/ – or email – [email protected].
