DAVID CRANE I VIRGINIA
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DAVID CRANE I BLACKSBURG, VA

My ceramic work is part of the functional pottery tradition. The ideas in the work draw from ceramic and art precedents from a wide and diverse range of cultural aesthetics, regions, and periods. The historic cultural traditions of China, Japan, Europe, Native American along 19th and 20th Century American art are all strong influences. More specifically the ceramic techniques and aesthetics of Song Dynasty Chinese, Oribe and Contemporary Japanese, Medieval and Contemporary English, Southwest Native American pottery and weaving, and Mission Style from the late 19th & early 20th Century Arts & Crafts Movement are of specific interest.
Along with these artistic references is the inescapable influence of the human form and that of landscape and environment. Pottery at its heart refers to the human scale through utilitarian form. However, the influences of landscape are often reflected in forms, colors and surfaces selected for use in the ceramics. My work reflects the experience of two very different environments, the Appalachian Mountains and the desert and mountains of the American Southwest.
My goal is to create finely crafted, functional pottery that is well designed and dynamic. The aim of these designs is to create contrasting color and surface elements that work in harmony with the form. It is intended that this strong relationship of form and surface will lead to works that communicate a quiet yet forthright confidence. Successful finished pots will be objects that are enjoyable to use and handle while being interesting and pleasing to look at. Ultimately, work of this quality will enrich the users life.
The work is either wheel thrown, thrown and altered or slab built using stoneware clay. After a initial bisque firing, glazes and designs are applied to the surface. It is then fired in a large high temperature salt kiln to 2,340 degrees. The salt firing process produces distinctive and lively surfaces and textures.

Education
1978 Master of Fine Arts - Ceramics, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
1976 Bachelor of Fine Arts - Ceramics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND EXPERIENCE:
1980 - Present Professor, Department of Art & Art History, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
1995 - 2000 Chairman, Department of Art & Art History, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
1990 - 1993 Director, Armory Art Gallery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
1978 - 1979 Artist-in-Residence, Ford Foundation, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

HONORS, AWARDS, AND FELLOWSHIPS:
1997 Distinguished Alumni Award, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
1992 Virginia Museum Arts Fellowship, Honorable Mention, Richmond, Virginia
1989 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship Award, Richmond, Virginia
1988 Virginia Commission for the Arts, Honorable Mention, Richmond, Virginia
1985 SECCA-Seven Artist Fellowship Award, SECCA, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

ARTICLES, MONOGRAPHS AND BOOK CONTRIBUTIONS:
Handbuilt Tableware , Kathy Triplett, Lark Books, 2001, pgs.5,118,124 (reproductions)
The Art of Contemporary American Pottery , Kevin Hulch, Krause Publications, 2001, (3 reproductions)
Niewald, J. & Crane, D. , A Community in Clay: Four Floyd County Potters , March 1999,
Art Museum of Western Virginia, (exhibition monograph)
Images in Clay Sculpture , Charlotte F. Speight, NY, NY: Harper & Row, 1983, p.8, 1 –10, (reproduction).
Low-Fire Ceramics: A New Direction of American Clay , Susan Wechsler, NY, NY: Watson-Gutpill, 1981 (Technical contributor and photo reproduction).
Low-Fire--Other Ways to Work in Clay , Leon Nigrosh, Boston, MA: Davis, 1980 (Technical Contributor).
Niewald, J. & Crane, D., Donna Polseno , American Ceramics, II, No. 1 Winter 1983, pp. 66-67.

EXHIBITIONS: SOLO & DUAL
2003 Sense Of Place, Art Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke, Virginia
w/ Fitzpatrick, White, White, Niewald, & Crane (10 + works each)
Crane & Shankin, Akar Gallery, Iowa City, Iowa
Recent Work, Lill Street Gallery, Chicago, Illinois (fall-2 person)
1999 Piedmont Craftsman Gallery, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1998 Niewald & Crane, Reynolds Homestead, Critz, Virginia
1995 Vessel and Wall, Perspective Gallery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
1993 Niewald & Crane, Longwood College, Farmville, Virginia
1991 Schneider, Loeb, Blume Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
1989 Martha Schneider Gallery, Highland Park, Illinois
1988 Running Ridge Gallery, Santa Fe , New Mexico
1987 Martha Schneider Gallery, Highland Park, Illinois
1986 The Signature Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
1985 Martha Schneider Gallery, Highland Park, Illinois
1984 Elements Gallery, New York, New York
Andrews Gallery, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
1982 Running Ridge Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
1981 Hills Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Sprague Art Gallery, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Illinois
1979 Synopsis Gallery, Winnetka, Illinois
Callanwolde Center for the Arts, Atlanta, Georgia

EXHIBITIONS: GROUP INVITATIONAL
2003 16 Hands, Perspective Gallery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
Cups, Santa Fe Clay Gallery, Santa Fe , New Mexico
Summer Artists Exhibit, Odyssey Gallery, Asheville, North Carolina
CLAY: A Comprehensive Exhibition of Major Ceramic Masters,
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
2002 HOT / ICE III: Teapots & Pitchers, Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC
National Teapot Show 5, Cedar Creek Gallery, Creedmore, NC
Strength In Numbers, Green Hill Art Center, Greensboro, NC
For the Tabletop, Santa Fe Clay Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Plates & Platters, Odyssey Gallery, Asheville, NC
16 Hands, Virginia Artisans Center, Waynesboro, VA
2001 From Shoulder to Foot, Quinlan Visual Arts Center, Gainesville, GA
16 Hands, Lill Street Gallery, Chicago, IL
To Have and To Hold, Blue Pony Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Warehouse Pottery Exhibit, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
National Clay Invitational, Blue Spiral Gallery, Asheville, NC
Clay/Wood/Fire/Salt, Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH
Functional Ceramics 2001, Wayne Center for the Arts, Wooster, OH
2000 Bistro 1615, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM
16 Hands, North Cross School, Roanoke, VA
Clay/Wood/Fire/Salt, Southern Highland Craft Guild Gallery, Asheville, NC
CUP Exhibition 2000, Lill Street Gallery, Chicago, IL
Handles & Spouts: Teapots by Contemporary Southern Artists,
Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, GA
Utilitarian Ceramics III: Celebrate the Object, Arrow Craft Gallery, Gatlinburg, TN
Cups, Cupboards & Cabinets, Signature Shop & Gallery, Atlanta, GA
1999 To Have and to Hold, Astra Design, Richmond, Virginia
MATES, Bedford Gallery, Longwood College, Farmville , VA
International Teapot Invitational, Cedar Creek Gallery, Creedmoor, NC
New Members 1999”, Southern Highlands Crafts Guild, Asheville, NC
Works from the Permanent Collection, Art Museum of Western Virginia
1998 South Decorative Arts: Works from Private Collections
Art Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke, VA
West Virginia University, Ceramics Invitational Exhibition, Morgantown, WV
International Contemporary Ceramics from the Silber Collection,
Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA
1997 Old Favorites New faces, Signature Gallery, Atlanta, GA
Southeastern Crafts Invitational, Florida Gulf Coast Arts Center, Belleair, FL
Recent Acquisitions, Art Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke, VA
1996 Teapots by Southern Artists, Artwork, Lenox Square, Atlanta, GA
Virginia Ceramics, Longwood College, Farmville, VA
1995 The Spirited Vessel, Sawtooth Center for Visual Art, Winston-Salem, NC
Gifts of Clay, Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, Michigan
1994 For The House and Garden, Pewabic Pottery, Grosse-Pointe, Michigan
1993 Clay from the River Valleys, Radford University, Radford, Virginia.
International Ceramics Exhibit, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
Handmade in Virginia: a Celebration of Craft, Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia
Ceramics Invitational, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
1992 Virginia Clay Invitational, Bedford Gallery, Longwood College, Farmville, Virginia
Spirits of Perception, Ceramics from the Collection of Igal & Diane Silber,
Rancho Santiago College Art Gallery, Santa Anna, California
1991 Bindley Collection: Ceramics from the 80's, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
1990 Uncommon Vessels, Florida Gulf Coast Art Center, Belleair, Florida
Holiday Invitational, Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, Michigan
1989 New Members, Piedmont Crafts Gallery, Winston Salem, North Carolina
Awards in the Visual Arts, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, Virginia
Clay AZ Art Invitational, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
New Art Forms Exposition , Martha Schneider Gallery, Chicago International
1988 New Art Forms; Virginia, Hand Workshop, Richmond, Virginia
American Ceramics, Clay AZ Art, Retretti Museum, Helsinki, Finland
The Vessel Form, The Elements Gallery, Greenwich, Connecticut
Ten Years of Southeast Seven, SECCA, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1987 American Ceramics, Clay AZ Art, Crafts Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Sculpture Show, Gallerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans, Louisiana
American Ceramics, Clay AZ Art, Gummesons Art Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden
Southeast Seven 9, Baumgardner Center of the Arts, Clearwater, Florida
Contemporary Southeastern Art, New Visions Gallery, Ithaca, New York
Virginia Clay Now, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, Virginia
Teapots 200, Springfield Art Association, Springfield, Illinois
1986 Invitational of Graduates, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
SECCA Seven, Gallerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans, Louisiana
Clay Az Art, Northern Arizona University Art Gallery, Flagstaff, Arizona
Clay Az Art, International Ceramic Conference, ARABIA Porcelain Factory, Helsinki, Finland
Southeast Seven 9, SECCA, Winston Salem, North Carolina
1985 Artists of Southwest Virginia, Radford University Art Gallery, Radford, Virginia
Objects, Reynolds-Minor Gallery, Richmond, Virginia.
Continuity and Change - Two Centuries of Virginia Potters, Belle Grove Plantation, Middletown, Virginia
1984 Southeastern Ceramics Invitational, SECCA, Winston Salem, North Carolina
Ceramics Invitational , Crossman Gallery, Univ. of Wisconsin, Whitewater, WI
Tea Bowl- National Invitational, Craft Alliance Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri
1983 Exhibition of Containers, Living Gallery - North Cross School, Roanoke, Virginia
Crafts Invitational Exhibition, SECCA, Winston Salem, North Carolina
Earthenware Invitational Craft Alliance Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri
Low Fire Invitational, The American Hand, Washington, D.C.
1982 Small Works, Elements Gallery, New York, New York
Clay Invitational Show 1982, DBR Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio
1981 Fifteen Plus Five Crafts Exhibition, Signature Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
Southeast Regional Exhibition of Contemporary Crafts, Arts Festival of Atlanta,
Piedmont Park, Atlanta, Georgia
The Vessel, Delahunty Gallery, Dallas, Texas
Limited Additions: 1981, The Elements Gallery, New York, New York
Vessel Oriented Sculptural Works, The Elements Gallery, New York, New York
36th Annual National Ceramic Invitational Exhibition, Lang Art Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, California
1980 New Work: Crane, Fuchs, Garrett, Lichterman, Elements Gallery, Connecticut
1979 The Art of the Bowl, Florence Duhl Gallery, New York, New York
A View of American Crafts, Maple Hill Pottery Craft Gallery, Auburn, Maine
Georgia Crafts, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia
1978 Clay: Midwest Invitational, Indiana Designer/Craftsmen, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Clay and Fiber: Fifteen Viewpoints, Charles Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, Wisconsin

EXHIBITIONS: COMPETITIVE JURIED
2000 Strictly Functional Pottery National 8, Lancaster Art Museum, Lancaster, PA
1998 Strictly Functional Pottery National 6, Market House Crafts Center, Ephrata, PA
1997 Spotlight 1997- Southeastern Crafts, A CC,Hickory Museum of Art, Hickory, NC
American Ceramic Society Centennial Competition , Lawrence, Kansas
1996 Ceramics USA 1996, University of North Texas Art Gallery, Denton Texas
1995 Ceramics USA1995, Center for the Visual Arts, Denton, Texas
From These Hills, William King Arts Center, Abingdon, Virginia
1994 Current Directions, N.A.U. Museum & Shemer Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona.
1993 From These Hills, William King Regional Arts Center, Abingdon, Virginia
1991 Clay USA, Flossie Martin Gallery, Radford VA & Hand Workshop, Richmond, VA
1984 Clay USA, Porterfield Gallery, Radford University, Radford, Virginia
1981 Earthenware USA: New Directions, Hand and the Spirit Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1979 Biennial Exhibition of Piedmont Crafts, The Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC
Georgia Designer Craftsmen, State of Georgia Touring Exhibition
Ceramics Southeast, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Illinois Crafts '79, Illinois State Museum, Springfield, Illinois
1978 Marietta College Crafts National, Grover Herman Fine Arts, Marietta, Ohio
National Paper and Clay Show, Memphis State University, Memphis, Tennessee
Young Americans Clay/Glass, American Crafts Council, Tucson
Museum of Art, Tucson, Arizona, and Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, New York
Selections 1978, California Polytechnic State, San Luis Obispo, California
Indiana Crafts 1978, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana
1977 Marietta College Crafts National, Grover Herman Fine Arts Cente, Marietta, Ohio
Beaux Arts Designer/Craftsmen '77, Columbus Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
Clay, Fiber, Glass, Neville Public Museum, Green Bay, Wisconsin
1975 Own Your Own, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
1974 Crafts 1974, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona

COLLECTIONS: (selected)
• Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ • Illinois State University, Normal, IL
• Art Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke, VA • Fort Howard Paper, Green Bay, WI
• Neville Public Museum, Green Bay, WI • IBM Corporation, Charlotte, NC
• Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ • Southern Progress Corp., Birmingham, AL
• Marer Collection of American Ceramics, LA, CA • Sovran Bank, New York, NY
• WTTW Television Corporate Collection, Chicago, IL • Numerous works in Private Collections

BIBLIOGRAPHY: EXHIBITION REVIEWS AND ARTICLES
Calos, Katherine, 16 Hands, Roanoke Times, Sept. 26, 1999, pg. J1& J2
J. Riggs, Granatelli and Crane Workshop, Clay Times, March/April 1999, pg.32-36
Schwab, Judy, Doing Things the Old Way, Roanoke Times- Current, December 28, 1997, pg. 20-23
Fariello, Anna, Janet Niewald and David Crane, New Art Examiner , September 1995, pg.50-51
Kammer, Kristen, All Fired Up , Art Beat, April - June, 1994, p.18.
Farriello, Anna, Clay From the River Valleys, University Galleries, Radford University, Catalog 1993.
Boyd, Julia, From These Hills , William King Regional Arts Center, Abingdon, Va. Catalog, 1993.
Pepich, Bruce W., Chicago International New Art Forms , Art Gallery International, October 1989, p. 36.
Mathews, Patricia, David Crane , American Ceramics, May, 1988
Gerry Williams, Potters of the Blue Ridge Mountains ,Studio Potter, Vol. 13 No. 2, Page 63.
Stanford, Verne, Ceramics-SECCA , The Arts Journal, November, 1984, p. 8.
Erikson, Mark, Sophisticated Clay , The Virginia Gazette, August 29, 1984.
Hammel, Lisa, The Expanding World of American Crafts , The New York Times, June 28, ‘84, Section C.
Mathews, Patricia, Crafts Invitational , Art Papers, March/April 1984, p.22.
Spotlight-David Crane , NCECA Journal 1983, Publication, NCECA, Vol. 4, pg. 38, 1983.
Degener, Patricia, Earthenware Show ,St. Louis Post- Dispatch, April 17, 1983.
Bell, David L., Santa Fe Gallery Fare Offers Surprising Quantity, Variety , Journal North, Oct. 6, ‘82, C-4.
Weinstein, Ann, Teachers Show Many Approaches to Art , Roanoke Times and World News, 1982.
Dillingham, Rick, The Vessel , Exhibition catalog, Delahunt Gallery, Dallas, Texas, 1981.
Whatley, G. & Lieberman, L., Southeastern Regional Crafts Exhibition , Art Papers, Vol. 5, No. 4, July.
Kutner, Janer, Ceramists Far Beyond Usable Vessels , Dallas Morning News, Jan. 7, ‘81, sec.C, p.1.
Four Promising Young Artists Express Ideas at the Elements ,Greenwich Time, October 28, 1980.
Ruff, Dale, Ceramic Renewal , Art Week, March 22, 1980.
Siegel, Roslyn, Reinterpreting the Classic Bowl , The New York Times, December 13, 1979.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTIONS
Clay Times Poster, national distribution, Clay Times, Spring 1999
Clay Times, March/April 1998, The Gallery, p.41
Ceramics Monthly, October 1996, “Virginia Clay”, p.55
Ceramica, March 1991, "Uncommon Vessels," Madrid, Spain.
Art Gallery International, October 1989, "Chicago International New Art Forms Exposition," Bruce Pepich.
American Ceramics, May 1988, "David Crane," by Patricia Mathews
Southern Accents, April 1987, "Honoring American Artists," by Laura C. Lieberman, p. 74-82, p. 82.
Southern Accents, April 1987, "Honoring American Artists," by Laura C. Lieberman, p. 74-82, p. 82.
PACE, Piedmont Airlines Magazine, June, 1986, "Gallery-- David Crane," p. 9-11, plus a 3 page.
Studio Potter, Vol. 13, No. 2, 1985, p. 63.
American Craft, April/May 1985, Gallery Page p.72.
Roanoke Times and World News, "Earthen Artistry," by Debbie Meade, June 29, 1984.
The Virginia Gazette, August 29, 1984.
Spectator, Magazine of the Triad, Sept. 13-23, 1984, Volume No. 1 Publication No. 27, p. FP18.
Roanoke Times and World News, June 21, 1984.
Art Papers, March/April 1984, p. 22.
American Crafts, Volume 42, number 3, December 1982, p. 66. (Gallery Photograph).
American Crafts, Volume 42, number 3, June/July 1982, p. 61. (Gallery Photograph).
American Crafts, Volume 41, number 5, October/November 1981, p. 64.
Ceramics Monthly, Volume 28, number 5, May 1980, p. 69.
Ceramics Monthly, Volume 26, number 2, February, 1978 (Cover Photograph).

BIBLIOGRAPHY: CATALOG PHOTOGRAPHS
Functional Ceramics 2001, Wayne Center For the Arts, Wooster, Ohio 2001
Strickly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster , PA 2000
6Th Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Ephrata , PA p.9, 1998
International Contemporary Ceramics from the Silber Collection, Laguna Art Museum, CA 1998
Spotlight ‘97, American Craft Council/Southeast Juried Exhibition, Hickory Museum of Art, NC.,1997
Clay From the River Valleys, Anna Farriello, University Galleries, Radford University, 1993
From These Hills, Julia Boyd, William King Regional Arts Center, Abingdon, Virginia, 1993
Uncommon Vessels, Florida Gulf Coast Art Center, Belleair, Florida, 1990.
New Art Forms, Hand Workshop and Philip Morris Corp., Richmond, Virginia 1987
Clay U.S.A., Radford University, Radford, Virginia, 1984
The Vessel, Delahunty Gallery, Dallas, Texas, 1981
National Paper and Clay Show, Memphis State University, Memphis, Tennessee, 1978
Indiana Crafts 1978, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1978

PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATIONS:
2003 Western Carolina University, Cullowee, North Carolina
Odyessy Center for the Ceramic Arts, Asheville, North Carolina
1999 Virginia Clay Conference , Front Royal, Virginia
Coe College , Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Blue Ridge Potters, Southwest Virginia, Blacksburg ,Virginia
Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, Winston-Salem , North Carolina
1998 Penland School of Crafts, Penland, North Carolina
Finch Pottery Workshop, Bailey , North Carolina
1995 Penland School of Crafts, Penland, North Carolina
1994 Alfred University, Alfred, New York
1993 Longwood College, Farmville, Virginia Slide Lecture and Demonstration
1990 Blacksburg Art Association, Blacksburg, Virginia
Gallery Lecture, Blacksburg Regional Art Association, Blacksburg, Virginia
1989 University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Northern Virginia 4-H Educational Center, Front Royal, Virginia
1986 Demonstration, Blacksburg High School, Blacksburg, Virginia
1986 Blacksburg Regional Art Association, Blacksburg, Virginia
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, North Carolina
1985 University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
1983 College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina
Slide Lecture, Panel Discussion, N.C.E.C.A. Conference,
Spotlighting Polseno, Nelson, Crane, Georgia State Univ., Atlanta, GA
1982 New River Valley Arts Center, Dublin, Virginia
1981 Penland School of Crafts, Penland, North Carolina
1980 VPI&SU, Blacksburg, Virginia
1979 Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri
Berea College, Berea, Kentucky
Callanwolde Center for the Arts, Atlanta, Georgia
Once Fired, Slide Lecture, Panel Chairperson, N.C.E.C.A. & Supermud, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
Mercer University, Macon, Georgia
1978 University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Madison Potters Guild, Madison, Wisconsin
Pontiac Community Consolidated Schools, Pontiac, Illinois
1977 Slide Lecture, Kiln Building workshop, Museum of Northern Arizona Art Institute, National Endowment for the Arts, Flagstaff, Arizona

JURIED MEMBERSHIPS:
1988 - Present Exhibiting Member - Piedmont Crafts Guild
1996 - Present Member of 16 HANDS, an association of craftsman working in wood and clay
1998 - Present Exhibiting Member - Southern Highlands Crafts Guild
2002 – Present Exhibiting Member – Artisans Center of Virginia