Ceramicist to share ‘A Potter’s Journey’ at the next Dixie Forum
Ceramicist to share ‘A Potter’s Journey’ at the next Dixie Forum
Sharing stories about his work as a potter over the last 50 years, artist John Neely will present at the next installment of Dixie State University’s weekly lecture series Dixie Forum: A Window on the World.
Neely, a professor at Utah State University, will present “A Potter’s Journey” at noon on Nov. 13 in the Dunford Auditorium, located in the Browning Resource Center on the Dixie State campus. Admission is free, and the public is encouraged to attend.
In his Dixie Forum presentation, Neely will address his growth as an artist and what he has learned since his start as a teenager, through his residency in Japan and during his years as a professional potter and professor. Neely bridges the perceived gap between the arts and technology, integrating his research in kiln design, atmosphere control and the technology of clay and glazes into his work.
Neely first became interested in pottery at age 15 while in high school in Wichita, Kansas. Some 50 years later, he has built a life out of his craft. He gained experience through the University of Colorado’s Kyoto Seminar in Art and Religion, which sparked the beginning of his affinity for Japan. He went on to return to Japan to complete fellowships after completing both his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Alfred University and his Master of Fine Arts at Ohio University. Neely split his time between the U.S. and Japan for 10 years until he was hired at Utah State University to build the ceramics program from the ground up.
In 2013, Neely was the first fine arts representative to win the D. Wayne Thorne Research Award. Additionally, his work has been featured in museums across the world, including in China, Taiwan, Australia and Norway.
Dixie Forum is a weekly lecture series designed to introduce the St. George and DSU communities to diverse ideas and personalities while widening their worldviews via a 50-minute presentation. Dixie Forum will take a short recess in preparation of the university’s Thanksgiving break but will return at noon on Nov. 27 with “Blockchain Revolution: The Impact of Technology Behind Bitcoin.”
For more information about Dixie State University’s Dixie Forum series, visit humanities.utahtech.edu/the-dixie-forum.
