Artist: Lisa Buck
Lisa Buck, MINNESOTA
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Bio
Lisa Buck is a potter and educator living and working in the St. Croix River Valley of Minnesota. Her pots are built to be used, moving beautifully from oven to table, cupboard to hand or resting for refection on a shelf. She employs a combination of wheel-thrown, hand-built or carved techniques to produce her pieces that are forms of generous expression, embellished with hardy feet or handles. The interplay of terra sigallata, slip and a glazed surface is characteristic of her work, which is fired in an electric kiln.
Lisa’s pottery has been exhibited in galleries nationwide and included in numerous books and publications. In her work you’ll see influences of her love of historic cooking pots and textiles, the resonate beauty of her time living in Morocco, as well as the rich Mingei-sota history that permeates her region. An avid hiker, Lisa is inspired by vigorous outdoor activities, in particular, hiking the ever-changing hills and prairies of Afton State Park.
Artist Statement
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, 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. As I turn 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 in developing functional 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 or a few glazes over white slip. My pots are fired in an electric kiln to Cone 04-02. 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 nature, nearby in the hills of Afton State Park, as well as 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
2023 St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 31, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN Functional Ceramics Exhibition, Wayne Center for the Arts, Wooster, OH
Yunomi Invitational, AKAR Gallery, Iowa City, IA
2022 St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 30, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN Members Exhibition, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN (Co-juror w/ Paul Briggs) Group Show, Schaller Gallery, Baroda, MI
2021 St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 29, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN Western Wisconsin Pottery Tour, Guest of Randy Johnston/Jan McKeachie-Johnston, River Falls, WI
2020 Critical Ceramics, NCECA Concurrent Exhibition, Richmond, VA
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 28, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
2019 OutsideHers, NCECA Concurrent Exhibition, Edina Art Center, Edina, MN, (Curator, participant) Pot Spot (St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour) NCECA Concurrent Exhibition, Silver House Studio, Minneapolis, MN
Women Who Teach, NCECA Concurrent Exhibition, St. Katherine University, St.
Paul, MN
Reman an Artist, Mingei-sota Teachers Continue the Lineage, NCECA Concurrent Exhibition, Transformation Gallery, St. Paul, MN
Directly Playful; Watershed Collaborations, NCECA Concurrent Exhibition, California Building, Minneapolis, MN
Northern Clay Center’s Member’s Exhibition, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN (Co-juror w/Paul Briggs)
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 27, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
2018 Yunomi Invitational, AKAR, Iowa City, IA
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster, PA
Cups Runneth Over, Invitational, Society of Arts and Crafts of Boston, Boston, MA Red Handed; Low Fire/High Iron, Symposium Exhibition, Nashville, TN
A River Runs Through Us, Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI
St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour 26, Guest of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
Western Wisconsin Pottery Tour, Guest of Jan McKeachie-Johnston, Randy Johnston, WI Holiday Exhibition, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis,MN
2017 A Culture of Pots, Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis,MN
Clean Slate: Lisa Buck, Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI (Solo)
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
Western Wisconsin Pottery Tour, Guest of Jan McKeachie-Johnston, Randy Johnston, WI 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 Invitational, 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, Phipps Center for the Arts,
Hudson, WI
New Work, Lisa Buck, Schaller Gallery, St. Joseph, (Solo)
Caffeine, Schaller Gallery, St. Joseph, MI
Holiday Exhibition, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, 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 Invitational, AKAR, Iowa City, IA
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 Gallery, 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
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, Raymond
Avenue Gallery, St. Paul, MN (solo)
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(Solo) 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 10- Guest Potter of Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN
PUBLICATIONS
Terra Sigillata: Contemporary Techniques “Try it like...Lisa Buck” 2018, Rhonda Willers, pg. 48 A Culture of Pots 2017, Weisman Art Museum, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN American iPottery 2014, Hluch
Best of 500 Series 2012 Lark
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/April2006 Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Jerome Potters", Arts Section, Mary Ab
WORKSHOPS/LECTURES/TEACHING/JUROR
2022 Co-Juror, Northern Clay Center Member’s Exhibition, Northern Clay Center, Demonstration Workshop, St. Bens/St. John’s University Ceramic Studio
2019 “Botanical Inspirations”, Workshop, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
2019 Co-juror, Northern Clay Center Member’s Exhibition, Northern Clay
Center, MN
2017 2013
Northern Clay Center/Phipps Center for the Arts, Potters of the St. Croix River Valley, Demonstration Workshop, Phipps Center for the Arts MN Women’s Ceramic Conference, Demonstration Workshop, Duluth, MN
2012 “What We Teach”, Lecture, Alumni Association Mounds Park Academy, St. Paul, MN
2011 “Drape Molds and Altered Forms” Workshop, Clayspace, Warrensville, IL 2006 Educator's Panel: Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
2005 “Lisa Buck: Making Pots”, Workshop, 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
2005 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
2004 Juror's Award, Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA 2003 Jerome Foundation Grant for Emerging Artists, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN 2003 Juror's Award, Strictly Functional Pottery National,
Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA
EDUCATION
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI
-Bachelor of Science: Art Education, Concentration,
1981
Ceramics Selected Further Studies + Residencies in
Ceramics:
-La Borne, France, Grant supported study of
regional contemporary and historic pottery of La
Borne
-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
-Watershed Center for Ceramics Arts, ME 2017 + 2014 Residencies
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
St. Olaf College, Northfield MN
Anoka- Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids, MN
Continental Clay, Minneapolis,
MN
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 Art Department, LaCrosse, WI
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/April2006 Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Jerome Potters", Arts Section, Mary Ab
WORKSHOPS/LECTURES/TEACHING/JUROR
2022 Co-Juror, Northern Clay Center Member’s Exhibition, Northern Clay Center, Demonstration Workshop, St. Bens/St. John’s University Ceramic Studio 2019 “Botanical Inspirations”, Workshop, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN 2019 Co-juror, Northern Clay Center Member’s Exhibition, Northern Clay Center, MN
2017 2013
Northern Clay Center/Phipps Center for the Arts, Potters of the St. Croix River Valley, Demonstration Workshop, Phipps Center for the Arts MN Women’s Ceramic Conference, Demonstration Workshop, Duluth, MN
2012 “What We Teach”, Lecture, Alumni Association Mounds Park Academy, St.
Paul, MN
2011 “Drape Molds and Altered Forms” Workshop, Clayspace, Warrensville, IL
2006 Educator's Panel: Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
2005 “Lisa Buck: Making Pots”, Workshop, 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
2005 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
2004 Juror's Award, Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA 2003 Jerome Foundation Grant for Emerging Artists, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN 2003 Juror's Award, Strictly Functional Pottery National, Market House Craft Center, Lancaster, PA
EDUCATION
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI
Bachelor of Science: Art Education, Concentration
Ceramics
Watershed, Residency, 2016, 2019
Selected Further Studies
La Borne, France, Grant supported study of regional
contemporary and historic pottery of La Borne
Morocco, Self-directed study of North African pottery
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Studio Assistant, Warren
MacKenzie,
Mentorship- Linda Christianson, Lindstrom, MN