Maija Grotell
Encyclopedia
Maija Grotell was a ceramist and teacher sometimes described today as the “mother of American ceramics”. Grotell was born in Helsinki, Finland, and emigrated to New York in 1927. After arriving in New York she studied at the New York State College of Ceramics
at Alfred University
. From 1927 until 1938 she taught at various positions in New York City, ultimately departing the city to take a position as head of the ceramics department at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
, where one of her colleagues was the architect Eliel Saarinen
. Grotell retired from Cranbrook in 1966. She died on December 6, 1973, in Pontiac, Michigan
.
Grotell was considered to be an innovative and gifted teacher, and was known for her experiments in glaze technology. Indeed, at the request of Saarinen, she developed the glaze that was used on the ceramic exterior walls at the General Motors Technical Center
. She won a number of awards during her career, including the Diploma di Colabrador at the Barcelona International Exhibition in 1929, the silver medal at the Paris International Exhibition (1937)
, and the Cranbrook Academy of Art Faculty Medal (1966). She also received the 1999 Excellence in Teaching Award (posthumous) from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts
. During her career she had solo shows at (among others) the Art Institute of Chicago
(1950), the Cranbrook Museum (1952), the Joe and Emily Lowe Art Center of Syracuse University, and the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (1967). Her works are represented in the permanent collections of many museums.
(1996)
Ceramics Today Featured Artist
Studio Potter Magazine Book Review
New York State College of Ceramics
The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in Alfred is a statutory college of the State University of New York . It is divided into the School of Art and Design and the Inamori School of Engineering. Although the School of Engineering is nominally administered by NYSCC, the...
at Alfred University
Alfred University
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
. From 1927 until 1938 she taught at various positions in New York City, ultimately departing the city to take a position as head of the ceramics department at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
, where one of her colleagues was the architect Eliel Saarinen
Eliel Saarinen
Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen was a Finnish architect who became famous for his art nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century....
. Grotell retired from Cranbrook in 1966. She died on December 6, 1973, in Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
.
Grotell was considered to be an innovative and gifted teacher, and was known for her experiments in glaze technology. Indeed, at the request of Saarinen, she developed the glaze that was used on the ceramic exterior walls at the General Motors Technical Center
General Motors Technical Center
The GM Technical Center is a General Motors facility in Warren, Michigan. The campus is home to 16,000 GM engineers, designers, and technicians and has been the center of the company's engineering effort since its inauguration in 1956....
. She won a number of awards during her career, including the Diploma di Colabrador at the Barcelona International Exhibition in 1929, the silver medal at the Paris International Exhibition (1937)
Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937)
The Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne was held from May 25 to November 25, 1937 in Paris, France...
, and the Cranbrook Academy of Art Faculty Medal (1966). She also received the 1999 Excellence in Teaching Award (posthumous) from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts
National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts
Founded in 1966, the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts is an organization in the United States promoting ceramics as an art form for several decades...
. During her career she had solo shows at (among others) the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
(1950), the Cranbrook Museum (1952), the Joe and Emily Lowe Art Center of Syracuse University, and the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (1967). Her works are represented in the permanent collections of many museums.
Other reading
Maija Grotell: Works Which Grow From Belief, by Jeff Schlanger and Toshiko TakaezuToshiko Takaezu
Toshiko Takaezu was an American ceramic artist.She was born to Japanese immigrant parents in Pepeekeo, Hawaii, in 1922. She studied at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and at the University of Hawaii under Claude Horan from 1948-1951...
(1996)
Ceramics Today Featured Artist
Studio Potter Magazine Book Review