Organizational History
Bray Staff & Board List
Event Steering Committee
Contact
Volunteer
Bray History
"...for all who are sincerely interested in any branches of the ceramic arts, a fine place to work." - Archie Bray, Sr. 1951 The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts is a public, nonprofit, educational institution founded in 1951 by brickmaker Archie Bray, who intended it to be "a place to make available for all who are seriously and sincerely interested in any of the branches of the ceramic arts, a fine place to work." Its primary mission is to provide an environment that stimulates creative work in ceramics. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Bray is located three miles from downtown Helena, Montana, on the site of the former Western Clay Manufacturing Company. Set against the wooded foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the 26-acre former brickyard is internationally recognized as a gathering place for emerging and established ceramic artists. The nearby mountains and brick factory ruins provide a backdrop for the creative environment; more important is the dynamic arts community created by the resident artists that come to the Bray to work, share experiences, and explore new ideas. Rudy Autio and Peter Voulkos were the first resident managers of the Bray. The volume and quality of their work drew attention to the new program and attracted many talented and ambitious potters. A landmark workshop in 1952, with potters Shoji Hamada and Bernard Leach, and philosopher Soetsu Yanagi, had a profound influence on both Autio and Voulkos. Neither had seen clay treated so loosely and freely. It was an approach which changed their whole attitude towards clay. Since its inception, the Bray has drawn more than 500 ceramic artists from around the world to work, including such well-known ceramists as Tre Arenz, Val Cushing, John and Andrea Gill, Wayne Higby, Clary Illian, Jun Kaneko, Eva Kwong, Jim and Nan McKinnell, Ron Meyers, Robert Sperry, Chris Staley, Akio Takamori, and Arnie Zimmerman.
Josh DeWeese became Resident Director in 1991, and worked to establish a Resident Artist Scholarship fund which helps residents to enjoy studio space rent-free. In addition, the Bray now offers a growing number of resident artist fellowships which provide annual stipends for juried resident artists, and the Peter Voulkos Fellowship Fund supports an annual visiting artist award to a prominent, world-renowned ceramic artist to work at the Bray. Most notably, the Bray, under DeWeese's leadership, successfully completed a $2.5 million capital campaign to construct a new state-of-the-art resident studio facility, expand endowment and strengthen annual operations. Upon Josh's retirement in 2006, Steven Young Lee was hired as the Resident Artist Director, and continues the work of upgrading facilities for resident artists and expanding workshop and exhibitions programs. |
Directors Ken Ferguson, David Shaner, and Dave Cornell worked hard at the Bray in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, to establish a sound financial base by selling pots, clay, and ceramic supplies, and by offering classes and workshops. Kurt Weiser's tenure as Resident Director at the Bray from 1977 to 1988 saw an expansion of the clay business with Chip Clawson as manager, and a successful fundraising effort to purchase the brickyard after it closed in 1960. Carol Roorbach became Resident Director in 1989, establishing a permanent endowment. Roorbach also initiated procedures for improved storage and documentation of the extensive and growing Bray permanent collection.Bray Staff & Board List
Foundation Office Staff Teresa Amsbaugh Emily Free Wilson Rachel Hicks Noreen Lehfeldt
Tad Henningsen Joshua Rysted |
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Board of Directors John Balistreri Wally Bivins, Secretary Sally Brogden Mike Casey Linda Deola Julia Galloway Ayumi Horie Alan Nicholson Susan Ricklefs Jon Satre, President Ann Shaner Bobby Silverman Rebecca Sive Norma Tirrell, Vice President Patti Warashina
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Event Steering Committee
| John Balistreri, Committee Chair Karma Alfredson Teresa Amsbaugh Dan Anderson Wally Bivins Gail Brockbank Sally Brogden |
Josh DeWeese Marcia Eidel Emily Free Wilson Robert Harrison Rachel Hicks Steven Young Lee Richard Notkin |
Sue Ricklefs Brad Robinson Tim Stepp Norma Tirrell Nathan Welch |
Contact
| For further information contact: Gail Brockbank, Event Coordinator P: 406/442-4141 E: gail@archiebray.org Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts 2915 Country Club Ave Helena, MT 59602 P: 406/443-3502 |
Volunteer
| Interested in volunteering, contact: Gail Brockbank, Event Coordinator P: 406/442-4141 E: gail@archiebray.org |