Artist: Dan Finnegan
Dan Finnegan, VIRGINIA
STATEMENT
My work stands at the intersection of traditional and contemporary pottery. I have a particular interest in medieval European salt glaze and 17th century English slipware but my earliest work in clay was sculptural and those very disparate bodies of work continue to inform the pots that I make today.
Making pottery is a lifestyle choice as much as it is a career choice…it is an integrated way of living, where work and play and everyday life all dissolve into each other and that suits me. It also allows for a great deal of variety: not only do I make pots, but I teach workshops, exhibit, write a blog and promote a show.
My own pleasure in making pots is made all the better by the pleasure that they bring to others. The opportunity to meet and talk with my customers brings me great satisfaction.
I enjoy the aesthetic challenges of making pots as well as the physical labor that being a potter and firing with wood entails. It is important to me that my work be finely crafted and made to a very high standard. I love the architectural qualities of clay, the permanence of stoneware, and the sweet magic that occurs when good pots, good food and good people come together!
Brief Resume:
Trained at the Winchcombe Pottery in Great Britain. 1978-1980
Established pottery in Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1980-present
Faculty Member of the Torpedo Factory Art League, 1994-1997
Founder: LibertyTown Arts Workshop 2011
Workshops:
North Carolina Potters’ Conference, NC
Starworks, NC
Penland School of Crafts, NC.
Savannah College of Art and Design, Ga.
Pinecroft Pottery, Aylmer, Canada
Scottish Potter’s Association
Museum of Mankind
Collections include:
Dwight Holland
Sidney Swindler
Crocker Museum of Fine Art, Sacramento, Ca.
Director, Weismann Museum of Fine Art, Minneapolis, Mn.
National Bonsai Museum, Washington, DC