Artist: Lisa Buck
Lisa Buck, MINNESOTA
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I grew up in a household that valued working with your hands; “creating something out of nothing”, my mother would say, and I find great pleasure in
the routine, rhythm and physical work of making pots. Working from the long
tradition of studio and folk potters, I passionately pursue the good
individual pot that comes from working in a series of related forms over time.
An inveterate arranger, I see the world around me through the lens of
composition and relationships, where visual components interact with each other to create a pleasing whole.
The process of arranging and looking, fussing and moving is how I approach
making pots. Turning my lens on the clay components, I work to create a
balance between the honest, yet sometimes unmannered lines of construction
and the more formal considerations necessary in developing functional organic
forms that are expressed with generosity. My pots are thrown, altered, hand
built or carved, using whatever technique will best express a particular idea.
Working with a limited palette of color, I predominantly use terra sigillata
and amber glaze over white slip. Black, white, green or turquoise may accent
and bridge the interior and exterior surfaces, often in the form of dots or lines.
Most of my pots are fired in an electric kiln to Cone 04-02, yet I have begun to
explore the surfaces produced at 02 in a soda/salt kiln, which you can see in
some of my current work. In both cases, the colors I choose to work with,
including the rich red of the earthenware clay, touch me deeply, and hopefully
convey the connection I feel between the earth, studio and table.
I draw inspiration from being outdoors, close by in the hills of the St. Croix
River Valley, or far away in the distant landscape of Morocco, where I lived for
two years. My influences run from North African and French cooking pots, the
folk pots and textiles of Asia, Africa and South America, and the rich Mingei
tradition that has surrounded me in Minnesota.
SELECTED INVITATIONAL AND JURIED EXHIBITIONS
2018
Yunomi, Clay AKAR, Iowa City, IA
Red Handed; Low Fire/High Iron Symposium Exhibition, Nashville, TN
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 26, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
2017
A Culture of Pots, Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN
Clean Slate, Solo Exhibition, Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI
Teach, Make, Reflect, Repeat, Lisa Buck + Renee Sonka, Owatonna Art Center, Owatonna, MN
Yunomi Invitational, Raymond Avenue Gallery, St. Paul, MN
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 25, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
2016
Spectrum, Schaller Gallery, St. Joseph, MI
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster, PA
Earth to Table, Squire House Gardens, Afton, MN
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 24, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
2015
Yunomi, AKAR Gallery, Iowa City, IA
Yunomi Invitational, Raymond Avenue Gallery, St. Paul, MN
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 23, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
Pattern Play, Seasons on St. Croix Gallery, Hudson, WI
2014
Red River Reciprocity; Ceramic Artists of MN & ND Plains Art Museum, Fargo, ND
Yunomi Invitational, Raymond Avenue Gallery, St. Paul, MN
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 22, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
Western Wisconsin Pottery Tour, Guest of Randy and Jan McKeachie-Johnston, River Falls, WI.
2013
Grasp, Schaller Gallery, St. Joseph, MI
Yunomi, AKAR Gallery, Iowa City, IA
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster, PA
Artist of the Month, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 21, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
Western Wisconsin Pottery Tour, Guest of Randy and Jan McKeachie-Johnston, River Falls, WI.
2012
Nest: Pots Make a Home- Solo, Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI
New Work, Lisa Buck, Solo, Schaller Gallery, St. Joseph, MI
Caffeine, Schaller Gallery, St. Joseph, MI
Holiday Exhibition, Northern Clay Center, Minneaspolis, MN
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 20, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
2011
Minnesota Nice, Lill Street Gallery, Chicago, IL
Cup; The Intimate Object, VII, Charlie Cummings Gallery, FL
Teapots, Grand Hand Gallery, St. Paul, MN
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 19, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
'Tis a Gift, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
Healing Arts Exhibition, Hudson Hospital, Hudson, WI
2010
Beyond the Brickyard, Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT
Yunomi, AKAR, Iowa City, IA
ARTsmart, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster, PA
Minnesota Ceramic Educators, Anoka Ramsey Community College, Anoka, MN
Educators Exhibition, Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 18, guest of Guillermo Cuellar, Shaffer, MN
2009
Warm Pots for Cold Times: Lisa Buck and Guillermo Cuellar, Raymond Avenue St. Paul, MN
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA
Minnesota Women Ceramic Artists, Northrup King Building, Minneapolis, MN
Lisa Buck + Chuck Koosmann, Church Gallery, Marine on St. Croix, MN
Friends Show, Squire House Gardens, Afton, MN
2008 A Letter from Warren, 18 Hands Gallery, Houston, TX
Double Chamber: Potters from MN & WI, Trax Gallery, Berkeley CA
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA
Minnesota Women Ceramic Artists, Northfield Arts Center, Northfield, MN
Minnesota Women Potters: Lisa Buck, Linda Christianson, Jil Franke,
Grand Hand Gallery, St. Paul, MN
Jerome Ceramic Artists Retrospective Exhibition, Northern Clay Center,
Minneapolis, MN
2007
Teapots III, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MN
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA
International Conebox Show, Traveling Exhibit, NCECA, Tempe, AZ
Kent State Cup Show, School of Art, Kent, Ohio
Red Dish, Yellow Dish: Lisa Buck Earthenware Pots (solo) Raymond Avenue Gallery, St. Paul, MN
Minnesota State Fair Juried Exhibition, St. Paul, MN,
2006
Living Dishes: A New Generation of Functional Pots, Baltimore Clayworks, MD
Teapots, AKAR, Iowa City, IA
Cup: The Intimate Object, Charlie Cummings Clay Studio, Fort Wayne, IN
Earthenware, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
8 Fluid Ounces II- National Juried Cup Exhibition, Shaw Center for the Arts,
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Bowls: An Invitational, Charlie Cummings Clay Studio, Fort Wayne, IN
2005
Lisa Buck: Recent Ceramics, University of WI-La Crosse Gallery, La Crosse, WI
Pots of Virtue, Bedford Gallery, Bedford, California
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA
Ceramics 2005, Guildford Handcraft Center, Guilford, CT
Five + Five, Earth and Fire Gallery, Vienna, VA
Functional Earthenware Invitational, Charlie Cummings Clay Studio, Fort Wayne, IN
Minnesota Art Educators Juried Exhibition, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, MN
2004
Three Jerome Artists, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA
It's Only Clay; National Juried Ceramics Exhibition, Bemidji Art Center, Bemidji, MN
Friends Show: Group Exhibition, Squire House Gardens, Afton, MN
2003
Snowbirds: Potters of the Midwest, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA
Views from the Valley: Lisa Buck & Paul Benson, Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI
Functional Pots and Prints: Lisa Buck and Barbara Knutson, Afton, MN
2002
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour X- Guest Potter of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Ceramics Monthly, Westerville, OH
Plains Art Museum, Fargo, ND
L&L Kiln Manufacturing, Philadelphia, PA
Bemidji State University, Margaret Harlow Ceramic Collection, Bemidji, MN
University of WI-LaCrosse, LaCrosse, WI
PUBLICATIONS/PRESS
Terra Sigillata: Contemporary Techniques 2018, American Ceramics Society, Rhonda Willers
A Culture of Pots 2017 WAM
American iPottery 2014 Hluch
Best of 500 Series 2012 Lark Books
Ceramics Monthly 2010 Poster
Ceramics Monthly March 2010 Women’s Ceramics Show Review- Upfront
Ceramics Monthly December 2009 “Pots and Function- Strictly Functional Pottery National Respond”
Ceramic Arts Daily November 2009
Ceramics Monthly October 2008, Up Front
Studio Potter Winter 2007-08, Volume 36, No. 1,"What We Teach" by Lisa Buck
St. Croix Valley Magazine Spring Issue, 2007, "Clay Creations" Lisa Buck by Liz Kohman,
500 Plates, Platters and Chargers Lark Books
500 Pitchers, Lark Books
Clay Times "Living Dishes: A New Generation of Functional Pots" March/ April 2006
Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Jerome Potters", Arts Section, Mary Ab
EDUCATION
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, Bachelor of Science: Art Education, Concentration Ceramics
Selected Further Studies + Residencies in Ceramics:
La Borne, France, Grant supported study of regional contemporary and historic pottery
Morocco, Self-directed study of North African pottery
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Studio Assistant, Warren MacKenzie,
Mentorship- Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
Emily Carr College of Art and Design, Vancouver, B.C.
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Residency, Watershed Center for Ceramics Arts, ME 2017 + 2014
WORKSHOPS/LECTURES/ TEACHING
2017 Demonstration Workshop, Northern Clay Center/Phipps Center for the Arts
2013 Workshop MN Women’s Ceramic Conference, Duluth, MN
2012 Lecture “What We Teach” Alumni Association Mounds Park Academy, St. Paul, MN
2011 Workshop “Lisa Buck: Drape Molds and Altered Forms” Clayspace, Warrensville, IL
2006 Educator's Panel: Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
2005 Workshop “Lisa Buck: Making Pots” University of WI-LaCrosse, WI
2000-present Mounds Park Academy, St. Paul, MN, Ceramics, Visual Art
1998-2000 Casablanca American School, Casablanca, Morocco, Visual Art
1984-1998 Mounds Park Academy, St. Paul, MN, Ceramics
1981-84 Stillwater Junior High, Stillwater, MN, Visual Art
AWARDS
2013 Purchase Award, Ceramics Monthly, Strictly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster, PA
2007 Merit Award, 4th place, Minnesota State Fair Juried Exhibit, MN
2005
Growth Grant: La Borne, France, Mounds Park Academy, St. Paul, MN
Juror's Award, Pots of Virtue, Bedford Gallery, Bedford, CA
2004
Juror's Award/Margaret Harlow Purchase Award, It's Only Clay, Bemidji State University, Bemidji, MN
Juror's Award, Strictly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster, PA
2003
Jerome Foundation Grant for Emerging Artists, Northern Clay Center, Mpls, MN
Juror's Award, Strictly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster, PA