John Bowers

JBC Pottery has been making pots of all kinds for 45+ years. He studied ceramics at U.W.- Oshkosh, Madison, Milwaukee, Waukesha. His influencing teachers have included Dick Woppert, Paul Donhauser, Don Rietz, Narrendra Patel, and Jeff Noska. He spent 15 years working as a union carpenter. He ran a remodeling company for 10 years that had 10 employees, at one time. He has worked at a stained glass manufacturing company. He has worked as an ornamental plaster both installing and casting. John also worked for a plaster ceiling tile manufacturer as a model and mold maker. He was awarded a BFA from U.W. Milwaukee in ceramics. John has participated in workshops, most recently at Eureka Clay Studio with Donavan Palmquist and Jack Troy. He has attended N.E.C.A. numerous times including Milwaukee where he unveiled his lamps in a few of its local galleries. . John was at the first meeting of the Milwaukee Empty Bowls Project and has donated bowls every year except 2. His primary focus in clay has been utilitarian .He has participated in local and state art fairs as a vendor The beginning of JBC Pottery started with the creation of ceramic lamps and a shade that uses stained glass to emit light and as a colored surface decoration in place of a glaze. Over the last couple of years has been producing pots in an atmospheric firing. This is done in high fired wood kilns utilizing fly ash created from the burning wood to produce the glaze covering the the work.