Born in 1954 in Seattle, WA
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1994-pres. Lead annual 'anagama' kiln firing workshop, Vashon Island, WA
1985 Constructed 'anagama' style kiln, Vashon Island, WA
1981 Apprenticeship at the Kaneshige Michiaki workshop and kiln, Bizen, Japan
1979-80 Work and study in Japan. Extensive travel in Asia to study ancient art and sites
1978 Established studio in Seattle, WA
1976 Brought Japanese potter, Mitsuo Morioka, from Bizen, Japan to engineer and assist in construction of one of the first anagama style kilns in the US
1975 Invited to travel to Japan under the sponsorship of American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Introduced by Noguchi to Bizen potter Kaneshige Michiaki.
Studied ceramic art working with traditional techniques in Bizen.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 Flow: Studio High, Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2007 Viridescence, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2005 Memory Myth Motif: The Continuum of Objects, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2002 William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
1999 William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
1997 William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
1996 Margo Jacobsen Gallery, Portland, OR
1993-94 William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
The Worth Gallery, Taos, NM
1991 William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
1989 William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
1986 Traver Sutton Gallery, Seattle, WA
1984 Traver Sutton Gallery, Seattle, WA
1981 Traver Sutton Gallery, Seattle, WA
1980 Erica Williams/ Ann Johnson Gallery, Seattle, WA
1979 Studio show, Seattle, WA
1977 Polly Friedlander Gallery, Seattle, WA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2012 Tulipieres: The Tulip Vase Revisited, Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA.
2011 Objectivity: Show And Tell, Cornish College Of The Arts Gallery, Seattle, WA.
2010 Artists Poets Scholars: Fishtown And The Skagit River, Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA.
School Of Fish, Smith and Vallee Gallery, Edison, WA.
Morris Graves Centenary Show, Rock/DeMent Visual Arts space, Tashiro Kaplan Building, Seattle, WA.
2007 Neddy Artist Fellowship Exhibition, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
A Human Impulse: Figuration from the Diane and Sandy Bessler Collection, Arizona State University Museum of Art, Phoenix, AZ,
Northwest Designer Craftsmen: Nordic Roots, Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, WA.
2006 Building Allegory, William Traver Gallery, Tacoma, WA.
20+ Years of Tozan Kilns, International Woodfire Conference, Northern Arizona University Museum of Art, Flagstaff, AZ.
2004 NWDC at 50, Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, WA, (catalogue, traveling) Vashon Allied Arts, Vashon, WA.
2002 Twenty Fifth Anniversary Exhibition, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA.
Body of Earth, Breath of Fire: Contemporary Northwest Ceramic Sculpture, Salem Art Association, Bush Barn Art Center, Salem, OR.
2001 Figure Northwest, Port Angeles Fine Art Center, Port Angeles, WA
Faces of Fire, Vermont Clay Studio, Waterbury Center, VT
2000 Different Strokes International Woodfire Exhibition, University of Iowa Museum of Art (catalogue)
Assemblage, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA.
Clay/Wood/Fire/Salt, Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville, NC, Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus OH. (catalogue)
1999 Margo Jacobsen Gallery, Portland, OR
The Art of Craft: Contemporary Works from The Saxe Collection, M.H. de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA. (catalogue)
1997 Figure and Form, Margo Jacobsen Gallery, Portland, OR.
1996 Magic Mud Northwest Invitational, Herrett Museum, College of Southern Idaho, ID. (traveling)
Clay, Wood, Fire, Salt, Contemporary Artifacts Gallery, Berea, KY.
1995 National Teapot Invitational, Mia Gallery, Seattle, WA.
1994 Annual Cup Invitational, Artworks Gallery, Seattle, WA.
1993 Clay: A National Survey, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA.
1993 The Year of American Craft, Mavetty Gallery, Gleneden Beach, OR.
Contemporary Icons, A.N. Bush, Salem Art Association, Salem, OR.
1992 10 x 10, William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA.
1991 American Wood Fire '91, University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa City, IA. (catalogue)
Clay with an Attitude, Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA.
1990 Buildings with Clay, Hoffman Gallery, Portland, OR.
Ashen Beauty: An Exhibit of Wood Fired Ceramics, University of Oregon Museum of Art, Eugene, OR. (traveling, catalogue)
1987 Bumberbiennale, Seattle Sculpture 1927-1987, Curated by Matthew Kangas, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA.
1984 Clay 1984, Traver / Sutton Gallery, Seattle, WA.
1978 Seward Park Art Studio, Seattle, WA.
1977 Polly Friedlander Gallery, Seattle, WA.
PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS AND COLLECTIONS
Arizona State University Museum of Art, Ceramic Research Center, Diane & Sandy Besser Collection, Tempe, AZ.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, George and Dorothy Saxe Collection, San Francisco, CA.
Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA.
Kamm Teapot Foundation, Sparta, NC.
King County Public Art Collection, King County, WA.
Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, CA.
Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA.
Urasenke Foundation, Seattle, WA
Western Washington University, Outdoor Sculpture Collection, Bellingham, WA.
AWARDS AND HONORS
2007 Neddy Artist Fellowship nominee, ceramics
PUBLICATIONS
2005 Wagonfeld, Judy. "Ceramic opposites make for a delightful curiosity," Seattle PI, p. 28, Nov. 18
2004 Aimone, Steve. Design. Lark Books, 2004
American Style, April 2004, Vol. 10, No. 3
Herman Lloyd, E. Looking Forward Glancing Back NWDC at 50. University of Washington Press/Whatcom Museum, 2004
Langager, Sara-Clark, and Yusa, Michiko. Isamu Noguchi and Skyviewing Sculpture. Western Washington University, 2004
2002 Langager, Sara-Clark. Sculpture in Place: A Campus as Site. Western Washington University, 2002
2000 Acero, Raul. Making Ceramic Sculpture, Lark books, 2000.
Fahey, Anna. Art Access, Vol. 9, No. 4, April 14, 2000.
Hackett, Regina. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 14, 2000.
Hunter, Sam and Bryan Ohno. Isamu Noguchi. University of Washington Press, 2000.
Minogue, Col and Sanderson, Robert. Wood Fired Ceramics-- Contemporary Practices. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000.
1999 Burgard, Timothy Anglin. The Art of Craft: Contemporary Works from the Saxe Collection. Marquand Books, 1999.
American Craft, Feb./March, 1999, Vol. 59, No. 1
1998 Clayton, Pierce. The Clay Lovers Guide to Making Mold, Lark Books, 1998.
Finn, Angela and Chris Gustin. The Best of Pottery 2, Quarry Books, 1998.
Tarzan-Ament, Deloris. "Northwest Ceramics..." Art Guide Northwest, October 1998.
1997 Hackett, Regina. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 14, 1997.
Tarzan-Ament, Deloris. "To Fire the Anagama..." Art Access, Vol. 6, No. 3, March 1997.
Triplett, Cathy. Handbuilt Ceramics, Lark Books, 1997.
1996 Held, Peter. Ceramics Monthly, September 1996.
American Craft, June/July, 1996, Vol. 56, No. 3
1995 Hackett, Regina. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 15, 1995.
Kangas, Matthew. American Ceramics, November 4,1995, Vol. 11.
American Craft, Feb./March, 1995, Vol. 55, No. 1
1994 Ceramics Monthly, "National Invitational," March, 1994.
"National Invitational." Ceramics Monthly, Vol. 42, No. 3, March 1994.
Updike, Robin. Seattle Times, October 17, 1994.
1993 "Clay Time,"Seattle Weekly, September 1,1993, p.41.
Hackett, Regina. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 17, 1993.
Tarzan-Ament, Deloris. "Catch Up On Clay." Seattle Times, September 9, 1993.
Hanly, Beverly. "Seductive Seattle." Edge City Magazine, August 1993, Vol. II, No. 17.
American Craft, June/July, 1993, Vol. 53, No. 3
1992 Peterson, Susan. The Craft and Art of Clay, 1992, p. 197.
Lowe, George. "American Wood Fire." Ceramics Monthly, May 1992, Vol. 40, No. 5.
Rawson, Philip. "A Good Pot Speaks from Maker to User." American Craft, Aug/Sept. 1992, Vol.52, No. 4
1991 Kraft, Charles. "Eric Nelsen at William Traver." Reflex, May/June 1991, Vol. 5, No. 3.
1989 Robinson, John S. "Odd Island Out." Seattle Weekly, May 3, 1989.
Kojima, Hisaka. "Hans Nelsen and Eric Nelsen." Idea (Tokyo, Japan), December 1989, No. 217.
1981 Sabin, Peter. "Western Washington Potters." Studio Potter, December 1981, Vol. 10, No. 1.
1979 Harrington, LaMar. Ceramics in the Pacific Northwest: A History. University of Washington Press, 1979, p.56-7
"Stepping Out." KCTS-9 Television, Artist profile / techniques of Japanese wood firing, 1979.
1976 Campbell, R.M. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 2, 1976.
Noguchi, Isamu. "Ibsen Nelsen as a Friend." Space Design (Tokyo, Japan), No. 148, December 1976.
