donald a clark, a core figure in the American ceramic art movement's development over the past 40 years, was a partner at the Ferrin Gallery and served as research manager for the Marks Project. He writes for publications such as Ceramics Monthly and Studio Potter and is the author of Making a Living in Crafts (Lark). Chotsani Elaine Dean is an artist and assistant professor of ceramics at the University of Minnesota. She received her BFA in ceramics from Hartford Art School and her MFA at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis. www.chotsanielainedean.com
A groundbreaking text allowing the reader, through the eyes of the creators, to encounter and understand history through an art form whose use by a people has been largely unexplored. What a powerful gift to the study of ceramics, specifically, and art as a whole.----Mary Dana Hinton, PhD, President, Hollins University Reveals the genius and the beauty of the ceramics artistry that Black artisans brought to the United States via the transatlantic slave trade, while also revealing its influences on Black American ceramists and ceramists in general in the 19th and 20th centuries. . . . Will serve as one of the most important resources for anyone interested in this subject matter. ----Herman J. Milligan Jr., PhD, Acting Executive Director, The Givens Foundation for African American Literature The authors have given us a great gift here: a wonderful compendium . . . may it be the first of many volumes exploring this topic neglected for far too long. ----Rebecca Sive, historian, author of Make Herstory Your Story, ceramics collector The name for the feeling I got came to me: Sankofa, the Akan word derived from the words return, go, look, seek, and take. The book does just that, moving us from 1738 to modern day, from Africa to America and beyond, signifying and testifying to Black America's innumerable contributions to ceramic art. A celebration of culture, the book is a joy to read. ----Lissa Jones, culture coach; podcast and radio show host, Urban Agenda