As we honor Warren MacKenzie on what would be his centennial year, we recognize a lifetime dedicated to excellence, innovation, and a passion that has left an indelible mark on countless studio potters. With joyous celebration, we mark MacKenzie's 100th birthday (February 16, 1924 – December 31, 2018), a potter whose life story is a source of inspiration, a treasure trove of memories, and a beacon of creative wisdom.
This story was originally published by MinnPost, Remembering Warren MacKenzie, Potter and Teacher.
For more on MacKenzie, we recommend reading Warren MacKenzie - Vol. 19 No. 1 from the Studio Potter archives, among eleven additional articles from MacKenzie's Studio Potter bibliography (noted and linked at the end of this article).
Remembering Warren MacKenzie, Potter and Teacher
When Warren MacKenzie died Dec. 31 at the age of 94, he had an enormous circle of friends devoted to simple pots made by hand. That circle includes potters and collectors, but mostly just people who use his pots.
Most of the obituaries will outline his life as a potter and his teaching. As an art student, he studied painting at the Art Institute in Chicago during the 1940s. Instead of painting, he developed a passion for pottery, fed by his partner, Alix. They both left to apprentice with Bernard Leach in 1950. Leach was a famous English potter with many connections to potteries in Japan. From that experience, they came back to Minnesota to establish a pottery studio, just as Warren began teaching ceramics at the University of Minnesota.
Now, so many years later, it seems hard to believe, but his first exhibit of pottery was at the Walker Art Center in 1954. From there, he became a central figure in the world of ceramics and pottery by exhibiting and conducting workshops internationally. He received more awards than most professors ever dream of – least of all teacher-potters.
