Nancy Servis

Writing about ceramics has been my focus for over twenty years. As a curator, educator, lecturer, and author based in Northern California, US, I have championed the artistic diversity of ceramics as expressed through pottery, sculpture, architecture, and installation. While located on the far West Coast of the vast United States, California fosters a unique perspective that integrates the cultures of people who have come to its shores. This multiculturalism, combined with the impact of the region’s grand nature, creates an openness to ideas and practices that welcomes artistic growth.

Artistically diverse with an influx of aesthetic perspectives from Asia, Spain, and Great Britain, Northern California redefined creative clay use in the 20th century. This compelling story has broadened my purview regarding ceramic creativity as utilitarian and as fine art. Consequently, my inquiry expanded to the Republic of Korea, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. Ceramics on the West Coast of the United States in California has inspired many around the world. I am so pleased to be a part of a global ceramics community within the context of the International Academy of Ceramics.