Born March 12, 1927, Bushnell, IL
Died April 12, 1998, Seattle, WA
EDUCATION
1955
MFA, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1954
Archie Bray Foundation, Artist in Residence
1953
BFA, School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago,IL
1950
BA, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
1955-1982
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Professor
1982-1998
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Professor Emeritus
HONORS
1963
Grant, Center for Asian Arts, University of Washington. Traveled to Japan to make "Village Potters of Onda"
1966
Grant, Japan Society, New York, to complete "Village Potters of Onda."
1983
Honors Program Award, King County Arts Commission, Seattle; Mural installed at King County Administration Building lobby, Seattle, WA
1984
Gold Metal, International Academy of Ceramics
1991
Elected Member to American Craft Council of Fellows; New York City, NY.
Personal papers collected by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
American Craft Museum, New York
Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA
Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
Henry Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
King County Arts Commission, Seattle, WA
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
Redmond Court House, Redmond, WA
National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution; Renwick Gallery, Washington DC
Arizona State University Art Museum, Nelson Fine Arts Center, Tempe, AZ
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Washington State University Museum, Pullman, WA
Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC
Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
Weisman Museum, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
Joe & Emily Lowe Art Museum, Coral Gables, FL
University of Iowa, Joan Mannheimer Collection. Iowa City, IA
Seattle City Light, Seattle Arts Commission. Portable Works Collection Seattle, WA
SELECTED CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
Chubb International Insurance Group, Wallen County, NJ
Hughes Aircraft Corporation
IBM Field Engineering Educational Center, Atlanta, GA
S.C. Johnson Collection, Racine, WI
Lannon Foundation, Palm Beach, FL
JMB Corporation
Hughes Aircraft Corporation
SAFECO Insurance Company, Seattle, WA
Microsoft, Redmond, WA
Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Menlo Park, CA
Vulcan Northwest, Seattle, WA
Bank of America Collection, Seattle, WA
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1999
"Ceramics & Prints", Howard House, Seattle, WA
1998
"Robert Sperry 1927-1998: New Prints", Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA (catalogue)
1994
Robert Sperry, Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1993
"Robert Sperry - Ceramics", National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C.
Joanne Rapp Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
"A Celebration of Contemporary Ceramic Art", Maveety Gallery, Gleneden Beach, OR
1992
Schneider Blume Loeb Gallery, Chicago, IL
1991
SAFECO, Inc., Galleries, Seattle, WA
Helen Drutt Gallery, New York, NY
1990
Northlight Gallery, Everett Community College, Everett, WA
Janet Huston Gallery, LaConner, WA
1989
Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA
1988
Whatcom Museum of Art, Bellingham, WA
The Art Gym, Marylhurst College, Marylhurst, OR
1987
Esther Saks Gallery, Chicago, IL
Robert Sperry, Ceramics, Paperworks, Drawings, Sheehan Gallery, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA
1985
The Southwest Crafts Center, San Antonio, TX
"Robert Sperry: A Retrospective", Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue; Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum,Spokane, WA.
1983
Gordon Woodside/John Braseth Gallery, Seattle, WA
1981
Erica Williams/Ann Johnson Gallery, Seattle, WA
1980
American Crafts Gallery, Cleveland, OH
1977
Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities, ID
1975
American Crafts Gallery, Cleveland, OH
1974
Northwest Craft Center & Gallery, Seattle, WA
1973
PANACA Gallery, Bellevue, WA
1971
Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum, Spokane, WA
1969
Northwest Craft Center & Gallery, Seattle, WA
1967
Humboldt State University.,Arcata, CA
1966
Atrium Gallery, Seattle, WA
State Capital Museum, Olympia, WA
1965
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1964
Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, OR
1963
"Photographs of Onda", Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1962
PANACA Gallery, Bellevue, WA
America House (American Craft Council), New York City, NY
1960
Oregon Ceramic Studio, Portland, OR
1958
Charles and Emma Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA
1955
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1953
La Boutique Fantasque, Chicago, IL
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1998
"Collection" Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
1997
"Seoul Ceramic Art Biennale 1997",Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art, ?Seoul, South Korea
"The Renwick at 25" The Renwick Gallery of The National Museum of American Art. Washington, D.C.
1996
"Clay: A Continuing Tradition", William Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA curated by Billy Howard
"Collection Highlights: 1945 to the Present", Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
1995
"Robert Sperry", Helen S. Smith Gallery, Green River Community College. Auburn, WA
1994
"Potters & Prints", The Society For Contemporary Crafts, Pittsburgh, PA
1993
"Pacific Rim Part 1:Japan", California Crafts Museum,San Francisco,CA,
"Contemporary Crafts and the Saxe Collection", Toledo Art Museum, Toledo, OH (traveling Show).
"Clay 93: A National Survey", Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
1992
"Contemporary American Ceramics", Stetson University of Deland, FL
1991
"28th Ceramic National", Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
"Modern Art from the Pacific Northwest", Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
"Masterworks: Pacific NW Arts & Crafts Now", Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA
1990
"100 Years of Washington Art- New Perspectives", Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
"Large-Scale Ceramic Sculpture - Eight Variations". Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, UT. January
1989
"100 Years of Washington Arts, A New Perspective". Tacoma Art Museum, Penny Loucas, Curator
"Surface and Form", National Museum of Ceramic Art, inaugural ?exhibition. Baltimore, MD
1988
Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AK
"School of Art 1920 - 1960", SAFECO Insurance Co., Seattle, WA
"School of Art 1960 - 1975". SAFECO Insurance Co., Seattle, WA
1987
"Focus Seattle", San Jose Art Museum, San Jose, CA
"Clay Revisions:Plate, Cup, Vase", Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA. Curated by Vicki Halper
"Ceramics in Architecture, Drawings, Sketches and Models", Syracuse University,Syracuse, NY
"Drawn to the Surface", Artists in Clay and Glass. Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, PA
1986
"Images on Paper", Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
"Poetry of the Physical", Inaugural Exhibition, American Craft Museum, New York City, NY
"Seattle Art Exposition", Seattle, WA
1984
"Ceramic Sculpture Invitational," Fine Arts Gallery, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
"Seven Artists" Explorations in Space," Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, Arvada, CO?
"Skeetshoot:Platters by Clay and Non-Clay Artists," Boston College Gallery, Boston, MA
1983?
"Three Men of Clay:Soldner,Reitz,Sperry,"Image South Gallery, Atlanta, GA
"Architectural Ceramics," The Elements Gallery, New York, NY
1981
"The Mind’s Eye: Expressionism," Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Harvey West, Curator
1980
"Selections from the Collection of George M. Irwin, Krannert Art ?Museum University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
"Contemporary Washington State Artists," Cranberry World Visitors Center Gallery, Ocean Spray, Inc., Plymouth, MA
1979
"Another Side of Art: Ceramics in the Pacific Northwest," Seattle Art Museum Modern Art Pavilion, LaMar Harrington, Curator
1975
Functional Ceramics Exhibition, United States Information Agency, organized tour abroad
1974
Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, NY
1973
Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, NY
1969
"Objects USA," S.C. Johnson Collection of Contemporary Crafts, Lee Nordness, Curator (national and international tours)
1968
"American Studio Pottery," Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England
1967
"Form and Quality," International Handcrafts Fair, Munich, Germany
1966
"Form and Quality," International Handcrafts Fair, Munich, Germany
"Ceramics USA:66,"International Minerals and Chemical Corporation, Skokie, IL; Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, NY
"Art in the Embassies," U.S. Department of State (organized loans to Gabon, Iran, Greece, Malta)
1985
"Major Concepts Clay", Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham, MI
1965
"Three Men from the U.S.A.," Nihonbashi Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1964
"The American Craftsman,"Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York
1963
"American Potters," United States Information Agency (South American tour).?
1962
"Third International Exhibition of Ceramics,"Prague (Czechoslovakia)
1961
"International Exhibition of Ceramic Art," Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC (award)
United States Information Agency Exhibition of American Ceramics (toured Finland, West Germany, Spain, Denmark, England, US)
"Contemporary Craftsmen of the Far West,"Museum of Contemporary Crafts, NY
1959
"La Ceramique Contemporaine,"Musee des Beaux-Arts, Ostend (Belgium) (European Tour).
"International Exhibition of Ceramics," Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
1958
"Wichita National Invitational Decorative Arts and Ceramics Exhibition," Wichita Art Assoc., Wichita, KS
1957
"Third Biennial Fiber/Clay/Metal U.S.A.," St. Paul Art Center, St. Paul, MN?
"Forty-third Annual Exhibition of Northwest Artists," Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
"Eleventh Annual Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Fair," Bellevue, WA (First Prize, painting; First Prize, ceramics)
1956
"Nineteenth Ceramic National," Everson Museum of Syracuse and Onondaga County, Syracuse, NY
"Forty-second Annual Exhibition of Northwest Artists," Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
1955
"2nd Biennial Fiber/Clay/Metal U.S.A.,"St. Paul Art Center, St.Paul, MN
"Third Annual Miami National Ceramic Exhibition," Miami, FL
"Sixth Annual Exhibition of Northwest Ceramics," Oregon Ceramic Studio,Portland, OR
"Young Americans," American Craft Council, America House, New York (First Prize)
1954
"Eighteenth Ceramic National," Everson Museum of Syracuse and Onondaga County, Syracuse, NY (national tour)
1949
"Fourth Provincial Federation of Canadian Artists Exhibition," Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
BOOKS AND CATALOGS
Bellevue Art Museum. "Robert Sperry 1927-1998:New Prints", 6 page Catalogue. Essay by Paul Berger. 1998
Institute of Medicine, "2020 Vision Health in the 21st Century". National Academy Press, 1996. (Cover) Plate #753
Rupp, James. Art in Seattle's Public Places. Univ. Washington Press. 1992
Peterson, Susan. The Art & Craft of Clay. Prentice-Hall, 1990
Perry, Barbara. "American Ceramics: The Collection of the Everson Museum of Art". Syracuse, NY. 1989
Kleinsmith, Gene. "Clays the Way". 1989
Levin, Elaine. History of American Ceramics. Abrams. 1988
Halper, Vicki. "Clay Revisions, Plate, Cup and Vase". A catalogue of the Seattle Art Museum. 1987
Bellevue Art Museum. "Robert Sperry:A Retrospective",Curated by Matthew Kangas. 40 page catalogue. 1985
Kelly, Jeff. "Potters and Prints". Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities, Catalog. 1985
Nelson, Glenn. Ceramics: A Potters Handbook (Fifth Edition). Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York. 1984
Erica William/Ann Johnson Gallery."Robert Sperry/Recent Work". 20 page catalogue of exhibit. Essay by Matthew Kangas. 1981
Harrington. LaMar. "Ceramics in the Pacific Northwest: A History". University of Washington Press. 1979
McTwiggen, Michael. "Surface and Form: A Union of Polarities in Contemporary Ceramics". The National Museum of Ceramic Art Catalog.
FILMS BY ROBERT SPERRY
1963
"The Village Potters of Onda" Documentary:
American Film Library Festival, NYC. 1966
Foothills College Film Festival, CA. 1966
Rhode Island School of Design Film Festival, RI. 1966
Asian Pacific Film Festival, HI. 1966
1967
"Profiles Cast Long Shadows", a 27-minute fictional film:
Northwest Arts and Craft Film Festival (Award)
11th Annual San Francisco Film Festival (Award)
2nd Maryland Film Festival (Award)
New York Film Festival, Lincoln Center (shown by invitation)
Film was shown at 23 other film festivals around the USA.
VIDEOS ON ROBERT SPERRY
1987
"Bob Sperry In Studio", Producer: Donna Mitchell
1990
"Views and Visions In The Pacific Northwest", Producer:Ann Hedreen Photographer : Rustin Thompson. Copyright, KIRO Television and the Seattle Art Museum
1991
"Higlights - 2nd Quarter 1991", SAFECO Corporation Promotion. Robert Sperry sculpture installation featured.
1998
"Robert Sperry A Northwest Master", Production: Ann Coppel Copyright, N.W. Designer Craftsman.
Aurora Award, Platinum, Best of Show. Salt Lake City, UT. Emerald City Award, Silver. International Television Assoc. Seattle,WA. New York Film and Video Festival, Finalist Award. NYC. 1999 Broadcast KCTS (channel 9) PBS. May
PERIODICALS
,"Robert Sperry Potter", Cross Country Craftsman, Jan. 1958
,Design Quarterly, 42-43, 1959
,"Ceramic Exhibition", New York Times, Oct. 2, 1962
,"New Sperry mural dedicated at the King County Administration Bldg." The Arts Newsletter of the King County Commission. March 1985
,"Contemporary Craft Art Collection". IBM Field Engineering Education Center
,"Robert Sperry a Review". Ceramics Monthly. Jan. 1984
,"IBM Field Engineering Center". American Craft, Oct/Nov. 1984
,"Some Schoolhouse". IBM Field Engineering News. Vol. 8, No.2, 1984
Bullen, Reese. "Internationally Known Potter Exhibits HSC". Humboldt Times. Arcata, CA. May 14, 1967
,"Sperry at his Best: Hang Up Ceramics". Seattle P-I, March 12, 1979
,"Sperry’s Clay Slabs Emphasize Austerity",Seattle P-I, Oct. 24, 1981
Caruso, Nino. Ceramica Viva. Milan, Italy. Ulrico Hoelpi, 1979
,Decorazione Ceramica. Milan, Italy. Ulrico Hoelpi, 1984
Collins, Midge. "The Geology of the Kiln, Robert Sperry Maestro of Clay". Spokane Spokesman Review
Faber, Ann. "Review of Hall-Coleman Gallery Solo Exhibition", Seattle P-I, May 9, 1961
Glowen, Ron. "Painterly Ceramic Exploration". Artweek, Oct. 31, 1981
,"Northwest Ceramist Switches his Attention to Larger Pieces". Seattle P-I. Oct. 15 1983
Hilton, Carol. "Potting has not changed in 10,000 years, Sperry Reports". Northshore Citizen, Nov. 14, 1963
Hoffman, Marilyn. "Each Piece Should Come From the Potters Hands, Says Robert Sperry". Christian Science Monitor, July 15, 1964
Hoppe, Bill. "Interview with Robert Sperry". Contemporary Crafts News, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1976
Kangas, Matthew. "Report from Seattle". Art in America. 1979
, Review of Erica Williams/Anne Johnson Gallery Solo Exhibition. Seattle P-I, Dec. 29, 1979
,"Robert Sperry at Erica Williams/Anne Johnson". Art in America, Sept. 1980
,"Robert Sperry, Recent Work", Erica Williams/Anne 6 Johnson Catalog. Seattle. 1981
,"Robert Sperry/Planetary Clay", American Craft, Dec. 1981/Jan. 1982
,"The Sperry Legend". The Arts Newsletter of the King County Arts Commission. April 1983
,"Sperry and Shaw: Methods, Murals, Modernism", The Arts Newsletter of the King County Arts Commission. Feb. 19
,"An Ancient Craft Lives:American Ceramicist Robert Sperry".The World and I Magazine. The Washington Post. Washington DC., April 1988
Katz, Ruth. "Architectural Ceramics Show", New York Times, Jan. 20, 1983
Kangas, Matthew and LaMar Harrington. "Robert Sperry Profile". American Ceramics, Vol. 5, No. 1
Levy, Mark."Ceramic Slabs and Framable Mantras",The Seattle Sun, Dec. 12,1979
,"Ceramics and Robert Sperry", Craft Horizons, Jan./Feb. 1962
Pepich, Bruce. "Robert Sperry". Art Gallery International. May/June 1989
Rogers, Millard. Commentary on "The Village Potters of Onda". Henry Art Gallery and the Center for Asian Arts, Univ. Washington, Seattle. 1965
Sperry, Robert. "Creative Research". Research in the Crafts. American Craftsmen’s Council. New York, 1961
,"Is the Craftsman an Anachronism in the Twentieth Century". Helen S. Everson Memorial Lecture. Everson Museum of Art. 1962
,"How Can one Judge Ceramics". Ceramicart. Rivista Trimestrale Della Ceramica Italiana. Oct. 1966
,"Potters Making Prints", Ceramics Monthly. May 1985
,"Recording the Gesture", The Studio Potter. Dec. 1985
,"Sperry". NCECA Journal. Vol.9, No.2
,"Black and White Abstraction".Ceramics Art & Perception.Issue 16,1994
Thompson-Dodd, Jacci.,"Robert Sperry Ceramic Master". Seattle Art Museum Program Guide. November 1987
Todd, Anne G. Review of the Hall/Coleman Gallery Solo Exhibition", Seattle Times. May 1, 1961
,"Craftsmen: Artists in Many Fields". Seattle Times. Aug. 27, 1961
Voorhees, John. "Discipline Leads to quality in Sperry Exhibition", Seattle Times. Dec. 4, 1969
Wilbert, Deborah."Outside Japan: Five Northwest Artists Display Eastern Influence in their Visual Art",Spokane Spokesman Review Chronicle 1968
Wiley Robertson, Salli. "Spotlite on Seattle". San Jose Metro. Feb. 21, 1987
"Globalism And Modern Art", Institutes For Global Culture. (Cover) Sightings; Newsletter of the Cultural Resource Division, Tacoma Arts Commission. Vol.6,#4 Fall 1998