Artist: Miranda Thomas
Miranda Thomas is a renowned potter based in Vermont, born in New York but raised in Italy, Australia, and England. Introduced to pottery at the age of 16, she has since apprenticed and worked with some of the world’s most notable potters, including Michael Cardew CBE, with whom she received her most significant training, as well as Alan Caiger-Smith OBE. Her pottery is collected in hundreds of homes, including those of celebrities and dignitaries. She has designed diplomatic gifts for President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, UN Secretary Generals Ban Ki Moon and Kofi Annan, and the Clinton and Obama administrations, including former President Bill Clinton's gift to Pope John Paul II, as well as pieces for The United Nations Associations.
Her pottery is collected in thousands of homes, and she has had the honor of designing and making many diplomatic gifts for both the Clinton and Obama administrations and for The United Nations Associations. These include gifts and awards from former President Barack Obama, and UN Secretary Generals Ban Ki Moon, Kofi Annan, as well as former President Bill Clinton’s gift to Pope John Paul II.
Thomas’s designs draw from the English countryside, as well as using symbolism and patterns from ancient Japanese, Middle Eastern, and Aboriginal designs, among other international influences. Thomas is a direct descendant of famed architect Arthur J. Davis, the interior designer for London’s Ritz Hotel, Royal Automobile Club, as well as the White Star ocean liners such as The Queen Mary, and Aquatania.
Thomas received a B.A. in Ceramics from the West Surrey College of Art & Design in Farnham, England. After then training with Michael Cardew CBE and Alan Caiger-Smith OBE, she designed and started the pottery for Simon Pearce. Miranda Thomas is married to furniture maker Charles Shackleton, with whom she owns ShackletonThomas. They share a passion for creating high-quality, beautiful objects with simple, everyday uses, and for using handmade techniques to instill their pieces with character, soul, and life.
Miranda Thomas, VERMONT
I am not a minimalist. I see and sense the world around me teeming with life and I want to express the awe I feel for it. I keep my pots useful, classic in shape, and marry the decoration to fit the form. By knowing one’s materials intimately, creating, coaxing bringing a pot into this world, one is on a constant quest for truth and beauty. I believe pots should be not only be balanced and beautiful, they must be strong, endure, be useful, timeless, give service, and ultimately be treasured.
Since being a small child I have lived in many different lands, and feel like an international global citizen. I have a blend of cultures in my matrix. As with my pots, I like to gather different cultural techniques: their colors, shapes, symbols and the associations, to create a style, a hybrid of sorts. These associations can send messages of understanding, which can be universal. Like ambassadors, I want my pots to go out into the world, be full of life, be vibrant and carry a message of purpose and awe.
Education
1981 Bachelors Degree in Ceramics, with honors from West Surrey College of Art & Design, UK
Licensorship of Designer Craftsman Award, West Surrey College of Art & Design; Craftwork Award, West Surrey College of Art & Design
1979-80 Michael Cardew CBE, Wenford Bridge Pottery, Cornwall, England
Traditional throwing techniques; English and African-inspired work, including slipware techniques
Professional Positions
2007 to present Co-Owner and Creative Director, ShackletonThomas, Bridgewater, VT, US
Incorporated handmade furniture, pottery, and lifestyle brand.
Retail locations in Stowe, VT and Hanover, NH;
showroom in Bridgewater Mill, VT.
1999-2007 Co-Owner, Charles Shackleton Furniture | Miranda Thomas Pottery, Bridgewater, VT, US
Extensive range of pottery for commissioning clients and retail buyers; workshop retail store in Bridgewater, VT.
1990-1999 Miranda Thomas Pottery, Quechee, VT
1984-1990 Simon Pearce, Quechee, Vermont, USA, 1984-1990
Established Miranda Thomas Pottery with pottery line to accompany Simon Pearce’s renowned glass designs. Designed sold across US, including Shreve Crump and Lowe MA, Gumps CA, Simon Pearce Retail. Featured in Gourmet Magazine, Bon Appetit.
1981-83 Skilled potter for Alan Caiger-Smith OBE, Aldermaston Pottery, UK
Functional domestic ware and tiles, using tin glaze, brushwork and lustre techniques
Exhibitions and Awards
2010 Best of New England (ShackletonThomas), Yankee Magazine
2008 Pastoral Magazine Exhibition, Montpelier, VT
2008 Joanna Bird Gallery, London, UK
2003 Harvard Ceramic Program, Cambridge, MA
Solo Exhibition, The Mercury Gallery, Newbury Street, Boston Architectural Digest Home Design Show
2002 The Mercury Gallery, Newbury Street, Boston, MA
Vermont Clay Works, Stowe
Vermont Public Radio Traveling Exhibition
Mercury Gallery, Rockport, Massachusetts
2001 New England Museum for Women, Bellows Falls, VT
2000 Architectural Digest Home Design Show, New York, NY
Vermont State Craft Center, “Time Honored”
1999 Chicago ICFF, New York City
1997 Solo Exhibition, Grayson Gallery, Woodstock, VT
Sawbridge Studios, Chicago, IL
Ava Gallery, Hanover, NH
1996 Solo Exhibition, Camelford Museum, Cornwall, UK
Ava Gallery, Hanover, NH
1995 Fiber and Art Gallery, Taos, NM
Chaparral Gallery, Bozeman, MT
Vermont State Craft Center, Middlebury, VT
1992 Sawbridge Studios, Chicago, IL
1986 American Hand Gallery, Boston, MA
1980 Camelford Museum, Cornwall, UK
Public and Private Commissions
2010 Gift to Royal Automobile Club London Centenary;
United Nations NYC Association Gala centerpieces presented to Johnson & Johnson Vice Chair Sheri S. McCoy, Winston Global Energy Chairman Winston Chung, and Christy Turlington Burns; United Nations Boston Awards for Greater Boston Area
2009 White House, Middle Eastern Tour Gifts for Heads of State Administration presented by Vice President Joe Biden for Yad Hashem Holocaust Center
2009 Loomba Foundation Gala Dinner NYC Centerpieces and Awards presented to Cheri Blair, Yoko Ono, Dame Shirley Black, Dame Joanna Lumley;
2008 Loomba Foundation ; Centerpieces Awards Gifts Gala Dinner NYC presented to Cheri Blair ( UK) Raj Loomba,
2008 United Nations NYC – Gift Vase for Architect Lord Norman Foster 2009 winner of Sustainability award
Awards ,Gifts and Centerpieces For Sustainabilty Awards Gala Presented to Lay Industries, Chairman Amir Dossal Holland).
United Nations Boston Awards for Greater Boston Area UNA Consuls Ball, presented to Senator John Kerry
1998 White House ( President Clinton) – Middle Eastern Tour Presidential gifts to Heads of State , incl. Benjamin Netanyatu (Prime Minister, Israel), Ezer Weizman (President, Israel)
1998 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – Exclusive design for museum store & catalog
1999 White House ( President Clinton) Personal gift to Pope John Paul 11
2001 President Clinton Library Collection, Arkansas.
2006United Nations NYC – Peace Bowl for Secretary General Kofi Annan
2006 United Nations NYC – Peace Bowl project for Educational Programs
2006 Wellspring Foundation ,Boston– Centerpieces and Awards
2006 Ritz Hotel London – Ritz Centenary Bowl (100 Centenary Anniversary)
2007 United Nations NYC – Gift for Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Awards and Centerpieces for Water for Life Gala
(Presented to Rotary International, Cirque du Soleil),
2007 Opera North – Gift for China Ambassador Liu (Peoples Republic of China) Lebanon ,N.H
2007 United Nations NYC - Gift for Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Awards and Gifts for Environmental Awards
Protecting Environment Gala 2008 (Ambassador of Iceland Toray Industries Japan,)
2007 Wellspring Foundation ,Boston– Centerpieces and Awards presented to Tom O’Niel
PUBLIC CHARITABLE EVENTS
2000Vermont Public Radio – Millennium Celebration Mug (1000 made)
2006 Special Auction for Doctors without Borders
2008 Norris Cotton Cancer Society in New Hampshire – Pinnacle Prize for “The Prouty” Bike Ride and Challenge Walk
2008 Natural Historical Museum NY Auctioned Gift
2008 Dartmouth College President Commissioned Gift to Dartmouth College – September 11 Memorial Brass Plaque and Memorial Garden Design
2008 Professors Zantoff’s Memorial Garden Design
2008 Auction Prize for Partners In Health Haiti
Public Collections
The Vatican, Rome, Italy
Arkansas Library of President Bill Clinton
Vad Hashem Museum (Israel)
Office of US Senator Patrick Leahy (Vermont), Washington, D.C.
New England Museum for Women, Bellows Falls, VT
Boston Historical Society, Boston, MA
Billings Farm & Museum at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park, Woodstock, VT
Duxbury Museum, Duxbury, MA
American Crafts Museum, New York City
Selected Private Collections
USA President Bill Clinton
USA President Barack Obama
USA Vice President Joe Biden
Pope John Paul II
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
President Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel)
Ezer Weizman (Israel)
President Ehud Barak (Israel)
Bertie Ahern (Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland)
Senator Hilary Clinton
Senator Patrick Leahy (Vermont)
Senator Peter Burling (New Hampshire)
Senator John Kerry
Congressman Peter Welsh (Vermont)
Howard Dean (Former Governor of Vermont)
Ambassador Liu (Peoples Republic of China)
Ambassador Reed
Secretary State George Shultz
Baroness Shirley Williams (UK)
Ambassador Liu (China)
Lady Cheri Blair QC ( UK)
Lord Raj Loomba (UK)
Lord Norman Foster (UK)
Governor Howard Dean
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Maria Shriver
M. Night Shyamalan
Caroline Kennedy
Robert Redford
Brook Haywood
Peter Duchin
Leonard Stern
Bill Bixby
Bob Keeshan
Norman Lear
Caroline Alexander
Charlotte Ford
Glenn Close
Yoko Ono
Ritz Hotel London
Royal Automobile Club London
Teaching
Harvard Office of the Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge MA
Six-week Master Class 2003,2004
History of Pattern( Scroll) and Techniques 2006,2007,
“Gifts and Commissions” 2009
History of Slip decoration and Techniques Techniques 2010
Press Features
“The New New England Heirlooms.” Yankee Magazine 2011
“Success Made From Scratch.” Los Angeles Times 2010
“Spotlight: Miranda J. Thomas.” The Harvard Crimson 2010
Black Carved Square Platter Featured in Boston Globe 2009
“In The Country: Fall in Vermont.” – Town & Country 2009
Black Carved Teapot Feature in Country Home 2008
“In Woodstock, VT The Best of Both Worlds” – Bloston Globe 2008
“Twixt Cup and Table” – Edible Green Mountains 2008
Oval Platter Featured in New York Times 2005
“Design America: New England” – Elements of Living 2005
Cream Carved Vase Featured in Home Magazine 2004
“New England Style” – Yankee Magazine 2004
“Weekender: Woodstock Arts & Crafts” – Travel & Leisure 2002
“Joining Arts” – Victoria Magazine 2002
Research
Brushwork in Blue and White , Majolica, Stoneware and Porcelain 1986-1990
Slip Carving Techniques of Tsu Chou Wares 1990-2000
The Decorative “Scroll” in Ancient and Modern Pottery and Decorative Arts 1997-2010
African Traditional Pottery and Techniques;
Trip to Kalabougou Pottery Village, Mali, West Africa 2011