Bill Clark Artist Bio
Bill Clark’s journey with clay began in 1967 in San Antonio, Texas, where he apprenticed with the renowned potter Harding Black. He later studied ceramics at the Newcomb Art School at Tulane University. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, he began exploring these influences within his own designs. Bill taught pottery, drawing and painting for the City of New Orleans for four years and was eventually honored with the Key to the City for his artistic contributions. He also designed shirts for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
In 1979, Bill moved to Greenville, South Carolina, to raise his family while continuing his pottery. He participated in Art in the Park for years and became an advocate for the local arts community, including active membership in the Metropolitan Arts Council’s Open Studios. He has participated in the National Arts & Crafts Conference in Asheville, NC for 27 years. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to educating others about the craft of pottery.
In 2002, inspired by the work of George Ohr, the "Mad Potter of Biloxi," Bill dedicated himself to mastering the technical throwing methods required to create Ohr’s original light and unusual clay fold shapes. This passion led to the development of his own unique interpretations of these designs without ever becoming a copy.
This dedication resulted in a significant connection with George Ohr’s descendants. In 2009, the family invited Bill to speak at their family reunion in Biloxi, and in 2011, they formally welcomed Bill and Pam into their family with a written document signed by family members. To date, the Ohr family has collected over 285 pieces of Clark House Pottery. This endorsement is a profound honor that continues to encourage his work.
Bill Clark Artist Statement
I was born a thing maker. I began drawing at the age of three, and while my parents quickly declared me an "artist," they didn't initially realize the nature of my work; I wasn't just sketching figures, but designing complex installations of conveyors and elevators moving tanks and airplanes.
This innate drive to create led me to a potter’s wheel for the first time in 1967. A well-known and highly regarded potter named Harding Black was my teacher. I apprenticed under him for two years. It was a match made in heaven, sparking a lifelong journey defined by the question, "What’s next?" To this day, I am driven by the belief that my next piece will be my best, a motto that pushes me to constantly explore the limits of what is possible with clay.
While attending Newcomb College in New Orleans, my early work was influenced by the Arts and Crafts era and its focus on natural forms. However, a pivotal shift occurred in 2002 when I first handled a piece by George Ohr pottery. Seeing the intentional folds in his work lit a new fire within me. I have since spent years perfecting my own unique techniques, incorporating creative folds and ruffles that honor the spirit of his work without ever becoming a copy.
In 2009, I had the distinct honor of being asked to speak at the Ohr family reunion in Biloxi. Since then, the family has acquired over 285 of my pieces, a gesture that has deeply validated my artistic direction. They have become like family to my wife, Pam and me, and we are incredibly grateful for their written recognition of our role in carrying on this unique ceramic tradition.
Bill Clark CV
PUBLICATIONS:
The Journal of the American Art Pottery Association, “Putting a Lid on Ohr” (Ohr the Twist Thickens), Spring 2023, “Ohrigami: A Personal Journey in Reviving the Lost Art of Folding Clay on the Potter’s Wheel,” Spring 2012
The Journal of the American Art Pottery Association, by Ulysses Grant Dietz, Fall 2023
Antiques Roadshow Insider News, Volume 11, Number 6, June 2011
Arts and Crafts Homes and the Revival, “Art + Craft”, Winter 2012
Greenville Magazine, April 2012
CAPCA Magazine, Contemporary Art Pottery Collectors Association
The State, SC State Museum, “Earthy Art,” Dec. 16, 2001
Old House Interiors Design Sourcebook, 10th Edition
Free Living Magazine, Greenville News, Nov. 2004
GUILDS:
Southern Highlands Craft Guild, Ashville, NC
Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi, MS
Louisiana Crafts Council, New Orleans, LA
MUSEUM PERMANENT COLLECTIONS:
American Museum of Ceramic Arts, Pomona, CA
Dallas Museum of Art, TX
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
Newark Museum, NJ
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, TX
South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, SC
McKissick Museum, Columbia, SC
Museum of Arts and Sciences, Macon, GA
Museum of York County, Rock Hill, SC
EVENTS:
Brookgreen Gardens Black Tie Gala, Murrells Inlet, SC 2018 SC Governor’s School for the Arts Summer Gala, Poinsett Club, Greenville, SC 2002-2003 Upstate Forever Annual Gala, Greenville, SC 2007-2008
Mississippi Museum of Art, “Art by Choice” Jackson, MS 2013
National Arts and Crafts Conference, Feature Speaker, Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC
Pottery Collectors Group Leader Discussion, Arts and Crafts Conference, 2 years including 2 great granddaughters of George Ohr
Stickley Furniture Co. purchased our entire booth at the National Arts and Crafts Conference and shipped our pottery to 7 company stores
SHOWS & SALES:
Spoleto Festival, Charleston, SC, 1 year at Wragg Square
Metropolitan Arts Council Open Studios, Greenville, SC 2002-2015
Art in the Park, Greenville, SC 1998-2007
Greenville Center for Creative Arts, Member Show, Greenville, SC
Folk Fest, Atlanta, GA 3 years, works published in Atlanta Journal Constitution
Upstate Potter’s Holiday Sale, Greenville, SC 2 years
Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, Morris Plains, NJ
Flowertown Festival, Summerville, SC 1 year
National Arts and Crafts Conference, Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC 27 years
“Fired Works”, Macon Arts Alliance, Macon GA 2016-2017
Catawba Valley Pottery Festival, Hickory, NC 2014-2017
Hendersonville County Arts Festival, Hendersonville, NC 1 year
Los Angeles Pottery Show, Pasadena, CA 2012
Pottery Lover’s Weekend, Zanesville, OH 1 year
Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, MS 2012, 2022
Slotin Folk Art Auction, Gainesville, GA 2016-2018
Appalachian Potters Market, Marion, NC 3 years
Ohr-O'keefe Museum of Art, Biloxi, MS 2013 to 2021, personal show 2015
STORES:
Wickwire Gallery, Hendersonville, NC (15 years)
Southern Highland Craft Guild Store, Asheville, NC (Present)
SC Artisans Center, Walterboro, SC (Present)
Trails, Greenville, SC (Present)
Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA (Present)
TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTIONS & TRADEMARKS:
Trademarks: Ohrigami™, Dreamware™, Ohrster™
ENGINEERING: Reverse-engineered the Billy Henson treadle pottery wheel; gifted technical drawings to the SC State Museum for replication and display
TECHNICAL SUPPORT: 20 years of technical kiln repair for all brands and models in South Carolina.