Dale Huffman and Ron Tenace
Dale Huffman and Ron Tenace met through the Craftsmen’s Guild and the two briefly shared a studio in the 1980’s. Dale says of Ron's work: "Ron has exceptional and creative design abilities coupled with a superb feel for the clay. He is driven not only by how his pieces look but also by a belief that functional pieces should function impeccably. I have seen Ron discard beautiful pourers because he was dissatisfied with the aesthetics of how they poured."
Dale Huffman on his process
These forms are wheel thrown and altered. On good days I’m able to play and dance with the clay. The flow can be magical. Close to the edge of what I understand, often days, weeks, or even years can pass before I’m able to grasp what the clay and I have done together. I’ve fired my pots with wood for over twenty years now. The work in the front portion of the kiln is loaded into the kiln naked of glaze. The ash produced by the fire, roaring through the pieces on its rapid trip from the firebox to the chimney, will melt and clothe them in glaze. Other pieces will deflect this river of flame and ash, there will be differences between windward and leeward sides of the work, and there will be scars from work sticking together as it warps and shifts from days in white heat. These effects provide decoration - decoration that I can guide, but cannot completely control.
About Dale Huffman: After earning his BS in Physics (1972) from Carnegie Mellon University and his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1976), Dale Huffman spent nearly two decades as a full-time studio artist. Dale has an active exhibition schedule, largely national and international. He has conducted workshops in Denmark, Spain, Sweden, and the USA. Dale’s work and writings about ceramics have been included in books and leading periodicals from England, Germany, Ireland, Australia and the United States. Dale has designed and built numerous kilns, including the wood kiln that he established in 1998 near Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA. Dale is currently a Professor of Art and Chair of the Art Department at Carlow University, in Pittsburgh.
About Ron Tenace
After a stint in Vietnam, Ron Tenace earned his BA in Art from Mercyhurst College. Realizing that he wanted to be a potter, Ron then apprenticed with Doug Sassi for a year before setting up his own studio.For over a decade Ron was an independent studio potter and an active member of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh. Ron’s work is well-respected among potters and has been published in leading ceramics magazines. Ron’s studio work shifted to part-time when he became a full-time teacher. He taught Ceramics for 25 years, creating a vibrant ceramics program at North Allegheny High School. Over the years he inspired numerous students to pursue artmaking. Now retired from teaching, Ron devotes himself to “playing with mud”. He acknowledges Pittsburgh legend Frank Ross for the seed that he planted in 1963.