In kindergarten, Ben touched clay for the first time and his fate as a potter was sealed.
Throughout his formative years, Ben was fortunate to have many supportive art teachers and mentors who encouraged his pursuit of ceramics, as well as pushed him to explore art forms such as stained glass, jewelry, welding, print-making, and glass blowing. As a teenager, Ben was invited to take pottery classes at the Rochester Folk Art Guild, where his life as a wheel potter was born. It was during this time that he first became aware of folk pottery traditions and began making face jugs.
After high school, rather than attend college, Ben secured an apprenticeship with the late, great Apache potter Felipe Ortega and was schooled in the legendary Apache micaceous pottery. Following his apprenticeship, Ben spent many years searching the country for a place to settle. That search ended with the purchase of 15 acres of mountain paradise in North Carolina, where Ben built a studio and wood-fired kiln.
His chosen home has provided him with excellent places to dig stoneware clays and good community, and he continues to dream of what to work on with all his tomorrows…
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12th Annual Face Jug Show!
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Caroline Cercone
Selected Works
Click images to enlarge
Happy Snake Jug
Dutch Tulip Crock
Solstice Serpent Jug
