Precision and Expression: American Studio Ceramics from the E. John Bullard
Bates College Museum of Art | Lewiston, Maine | bates.edu/museum/ | Through March 21, 2026
In 2010, after thirty-seven years at the New Orleans Museum of Art as CEO and director—an amazing tenure during which the museum expanded exponentially—John Bullard turned his attention to fulfilling a passion: assembling an extraordinary collection of American studio ceramics. The Bates College Museum of Art is celebrating the gift of a selection of these artworks with this entertaining and enlightening exhibition.
Focusing on post-World War II work, Bullard sought diversity and individuality in his acquisitions. He also embraced humor and joy: many of the pieces will prompt a smile. Take Mike Helke’s Eccentric Ewer, ca. 2015: while appearing to draw on a Russian Constructivist aesthetic, the Stillwater, Minnesota-based potter gave his pitcher a comical appearance, jaunty and patchwork.
A student of Robert Arneson (1930-1992) at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in 1967, Verne Funk embraced his teacher’s absurdist approach to clay, creating unconventional sculptures. He also worked with functional forms: his white stoneware Oreo Cookie Platter, ca. 1995, highlights his brilliant drawing.
By contrast, Roberto Lugo’s stoneware Fighting Shirley Cup, 2023, celebrates the political pioneer Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005). Known for his culturally charged work and as the Village Potter, Lugo placed a photo transfer of the famed Black activist on the side of a stoneware cup in her honor.
Mark Bell’s glazed porcelain Spherical Vase, ca. 2011, exemplifies the Blue Hill, Maine, artist’s seamless style. Bell, who has been collaborating with painter William Irvine in recent years, hand-threw this exquisite vessel. Other ceramists in this who’s who display include Laura Andreson, Mark Burns, Julia Galloway, Vivika and Otto Heino, Wayne Higby, Warren MacKenzie, Farraday Newsome, Akio Takamori, and Marguerite Wildenhain.
The collector’s longtime ties to Haystack and the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine, inspired his gift, as did the college’s ceramics program led by Susan Dewsnap, who co-curated the exhibition and accompanying catalogue. Bullard envisions future students exploring and learning from these singular objects. That vision is already happening: interns at the Bates Museum researched artists for the catalogue and labels.
–Carl Little