Ben Owen III
2199 South Pottery Highway 705
Seagrove, NC 27341
910-464-2261
www.benowenpottery.com
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Education
1989-1993 Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.
1987-1989 Undergraduate Liberal Arts coursework, Pfeiffer University, Misenheimer, N.C. (Instructor in Ceramics Department)
1984-1987 Apprenticeship with Ben Wade Owen Jr., Ben Owen Pottery, Seagrove, NC
1977-1983 Apprenticeship with Ben Owen Sr., Old Plank Road Pottery, Seagrove, NC
Residencies
Travel to China and demonstrated for Sanbao Art Center, Jingdezhen, China. April 2007.
Travels to Australia and New Zealand to visit potters, 1999.
IWCAT Cultural Exchange Program, Tokoname, Japan, 1995.
Resident Potter, The Hambidge Center, Rabun Gap, GA, June 6-July 8, 1994.
Presentations
Presenter for Smithsonian Museum of Folklife, Washington, DC April 2010.
Moderator, North Carolina Pottery Conference, Asheboro, NC. Val Cushing and Norm Shullman, A Lifetime in Clay, March 2009.
Speaker, Mint Museum Craft & Design, Charlotte, NC, 2008, 2002, 1998, 1995.
Keynote Speaker, Questers International Convention, Research Triangle Park, NC, 2002.
Keynote speaker, North Carolina Art Educators Annual Conference, 2002.
Panelist, Pyrochromatics: an International Symposium on Color, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, October 5-10, 1999.
Teaching
Jeffcoat Pottery workshop with Cynthia Bringle, February, 2010.
Juror, National Exhibition, Franklin Square Gallery Exhibition, June 2008
Odyssey Ceramic Art Center, Asheville, 2007.
Pocosin Art Center, Columbia, NC, 2002.
Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC, 2004, 2001,1997,1994
Odessey Art Center, Asheville, NC, 2001.
Functional Ceramics 2000, Wooster, Ohio, April 2000.
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, July 18-30, 1999.
Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, July 19-August 4, 1998.
Honors
Named “North Carolina Living Treasure” by Randall Library, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, 2004.
Personal photograph featured in 2004 edition of North Carolina state road map.
Governor’s Business Awards in the Arts and Humanities, commissioned to make awards by Governor of North Carolina, Jim Hunt, 2000.
Outstanding Senior Award, School of Art, East Carolina University, 1993.
Recipient, two Gold Key in Scholastic Art Awards, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, 1987.
Solo Exhibitions
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences “Influences from Nature Exhibit, June 2010.
Blue Spiral 1, Ben Owen III August, 2007
Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC. Solo exhibition, A Natural Influence: New Works by Ben Owen III, Feb 6-May 2, 2004.
Blue Spiral 1 Gallery Shows, Asheville, NC: Heritage and Innovation, September 2-October 30, 2004; Tradition and Transition, August 31- October 27, 2001; Ben Owen III, August 1998.
Ariodante, New Orleans, LA, Ben Owen III, September 11-30, 1999.
Berman Gallery, Atlanta, GA, Ben Owen I & III, February-March 1996.
Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC, Built Upon Honor, June-December 1995.
The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA, Ben Owen III, Potter, December 1994-April 1995.
Cedar Creek Gallery, Creedmoor, NC, Ben Owen III, 1994.
St. John's Museum of Art, Wilmington, NC, 1994.
Group Exhibitions
North Carolina Pottery Center, Time for Tea February-April 2011.
North Carolina Pottery Center, Owen/Owens Pottery exhibit February-April 2010.
National Teapot Show, Cedar Creek Gallery, Creedmoor, NC. Jun, 2008. (Award of Excellence)
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC, The Potter’s Eye, October 30, 2005-March 19, 2006 .
Cedar Creek Gallery, Creedmoor, NC, National Teapot Show VI, June 2005 A Celebration of Excellence, August 1998.
Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO, NC Pottery, September 12-October 20, 2003 .
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Clay, April 12–June 15, 2003 .
Traveling Exhibit, NC Clay Past & Present, March 2001- December 2002: Bank of America, Charlotte NC, Gallery of Art & Design, Raleigh, NC,
Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC, Museum of Art, Hickory, NC
Museum of Art, Greenville, NC, Museum of Art, Fayetteville, NC,
North Carolina Pottery Center, Seagrove, NC.
Blue Spiral 1 Gallery Shows, Asheville, NC: Hot Ice III Teapots & Pitchers, March 1-April 20, 2002, Silver Celebration, November 1997, Hot Ice Teapot & Pitchers, August 1997, Wood Fired Pottery, September-November 1996, The Ethereal Soul, April-June, 1996 Hot-Ice Teapot Show, August 1994, Clay 94, April-July, 1994.
Hambidge Center, Rabun Gap, GA, Jugtown Area Show, 1994-2002; 1992-1993 .
Ogden Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA, October 2001 .
Pinch Gallery, Northampton, MA, Teapots Transformed: The Studio Potters, June 2001
Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH, Clay/Wood/Fire/Salt, February 11- April 8, 2001.
Immaculata College, Immaculata, PA, Art Show, February 3-February 11, 2001 .
Rocky Mount Arts Center, Rocky Mount, NC, January 13-February 11, 2001 Vessels: half full/half empty, January 3-24, 1999 42 Artists, 42 Years, February 1997.
Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster PA, Strictly Functional Pottery National Exhibit, April 14-June 11, 2000; May 1993 .
Gallery of Art and Design, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, The New Heritage of North Carolina Pottery, April 6-June 4, 2000 The University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa City, Iowa, Different Stokes, September 11-December 26, 1999.
Lil Street Gallery, Chicago IL, Serendipity: The Magic of Woodfire Ceramics, October 9-November 7, 1999.
Alfred University, Alfred, NY, Premeditated Function: The Corsaw Collection of American Ceramics, September 24, 1998-February 4, 1999.
Gallery WDO, Charlotte, NC, October 1998; 3 Potters, June 1997; New Visions, October 1995 .
Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC, Ceramic Art, February-May 1997 .
Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA, Built Upon Honor, February 1996 Tokoname Ceramic Exhibition, Tokoname, Japan, August 1995.
Cera Gallery, Tokoname, Japan, IWCAT Workshop Show, August 1995.
NC Museum of History, Raleigh, NC, New Ways for Old Jugs, June 1995.
Folk Art Center, Asheville, NC, Craft of the Carolinas, 1994 .
Wayne Center of the Arts, Wooster, OH, Functional Ceramics, 1994 .
McKissick Museum, Columbia, SC, New Ways for Old Jugs, July 1994.
Gibbs Museum of Art, Charleston, SC, Craft of the Carolinas, 1993.
Commissions
Arnold Palmer for his 80th birthday, 2010.
Vases for Chinese government for help with US flying tiger pilot memorial in China, March 2007.
UNC, Lifetime Achievement Award, James Taylor, 2006 .
UNC, Lifetime Achievement Award, N.C. Symphony, 2006 .
UNC-TV, gifts to North Carolina Governor, Mike Easley, 2002-2008.
Governor's Office of North Carolina, executive gifts for dignitary guests from Japan and Sweden, 1995-1997. Tom Seleck, 1997.
Elton John, 1993.
Elizabeth Taylor, Perry Como, 1985.
Bob Hope 1984.
Executive Office of U.S. President, Ronald Reagan, Christmas, 1983.
Museum Collections
Smithsonian Museum, Washington, DC.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX.
The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA.
Mint Museum of Art and Craft and Design, Charlotte, NC.
New Orleans Museum of Art.
Cleveland Museum of Art.
The Schein-Joseph International Museum of Art, Alfred, NY.
Ceramics Monthly collection, Westerville, OH.
Ogden Museum of Art, Ogden, LA.
North Carolina Governor’s Mansion, Raleigh, NC .
North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC.
Public Collections
Randolph Hospital Cancer Center, Asheboro, NC.
Umstead Hotel Cary, NC.
Ritz Carlton Tokyo, Japan .
Ritz Carlton Boston, MA.
Ritz Carlton White Plains, NY .
Boston Commons, Boston, MA .
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Boston, MA .
Sun Valley Ampitheatre Sun Valley, ID .
Federal Reserve Charlotte, NC.
Television
WUNC-TV, Channel 4, PBS, Featured artist, Pottery Live 2002-2006, 2008-2011.
North Carolina People, Chapel Hill, NC, 2000; NC Now, Chapel Hill, NC, 1994, 1995.
PBS, Antiques Road Show, December 2003, 2007.
FOX8-TV, Channel 8, In Touch, High Point, NC, 1997.
WGHP-TV, Channel 8, ABC, Roy's Folks, High Point, NC, 1995.
ABC, Good Morning America, New York, NY, November 16, 1995.
WTVD-TV, Channel 11, ABC, Prime Time Sunday, Durham, NC, November 1994.
Publications | Periodicals
New York Times, March 10, 2010.
Southern Living Magazine, Seagrove Pottery-The Next Generation, November 2009.
Pinestraw Magazine, Pinehurst, NC, Cover Article, The Soul of a Potter, November 2008.
Ceramic Art & Perception (Ben Owen III), March 2008.
Ceramics Monthly, Cover Article (Ben Owen III Potter), November 2005, November 2004, December 1996, March 1996, September 1993.
Boston Globe, July 2005; May 29, 1994.
East, The Magazine of East Carolina University, Cover Article, Fall Issue, December 2004.
New York Times, Sunday, October 24, 2004; April 10, 2001.
Los Angeles Times, Sunday, June 13, 2004.
Bon Appetit Magazine, November 2003.
Washington Post, June 9, 2002; February 14, 1996.
Atlanta Journal & Constitution, April 1999; February 2 & 10, 1996; January 1, 1995; June 24, 1994.
Clay Times, November/December 1998, May 1996.
Smithsonian Magazine, October 1998.
Studio Potter, December 1997.
Our State Magazine of NC, 1993, 2005.
American Craft Magazine, April 1995.
Chicago Tribune, October 5, 1986.
USA Today, February 29, 1984.
Books
The Remarkable Potters of Seagrove, Charlotte Brown, 2007 .
The Potter’s Eye, Nancy Sweezy and Mark Hewitt, October 2005.
Ben Owen III, A Natural Influence, Phyllis Blair Clark, Louise Cameron Wells Art Museum, Wilmington, NC, February 2004.
North Carolina Pottery: The Collection of the Mint Museums, Barbara Stone Perry, UNC Press, Chapel Hill, 2004.
Setting Up Your Ceramic Studio, Virginia Scotchie, Lark Books, 2003.
The Penland Book of Ceramics: Master Classes in Ceramic Techniques; Lark Books, 2003.
North Carolina, North Carolina public school textbook, 1998.
Wheel-Thrown Ceramics, Don Davis, Lark Books, 1998.
Grit, American Life and Traditions, November 16, 1997.
Affiliations
Celebration of Seagrove Potters Festival, Seagrove, NC (Chair) 2008-2009.
American Craft Council, 1993-2011.
Community One Bank, Asheboro, NC, Advisory Board of Directors 1999-2011.
North Carolina Pottery Center, member, Board of Directors 1996-1999, 2002-2003.
Public Education Foundation for Moore County Schools, Southern Pines, NC, 2001-2003.
Additional information is available upon request.
