The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts (also known as "The Bray") is a public,

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

, educational institution located 3 miles from downtown

Helena, Montana Helena (; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat, seat of Lewis and Clark County, Montana, Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold ...

, United States. It was founded on the site of the former Western Clay Manufacturing Company in 1951 by brickmaker Archie Bray, a philanthropist and avid patron of the arts. Bray 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." Although Bray died in 1953, his foundation survived the 1960 closure of Western Clay and in 1984 purchased the abandoned brickyard building and kilns. Today the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts is internationally acclaimedAarstad, Rich, Ellie Arguimbau, Ellen Baumler, Charlene Porsild, and Brian Shovers
Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman
. Montana Historical Society Press. and the building is listed on the American

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

as the "Western Clay Manufacturing Company". The

artist residency Artist-in-residence (also Writer-in-residence), or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs that involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs that pr ...

program is the core of the foundation. Rudy Autio and

Peter Voulkos Peter Voulkos (born Panagiotis Harry Voulkos; 29 January 1924 – 16 February 2002) was an American artist of Greek descent. He is known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures, which crossed the traditional divide between ceramic c ...

were the first resident artists in 1951. Their professor at

Montana State College Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana, United States. It enrolls more students than any other college or university in the state. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's d ...

Frances Senska Frances Maude Senska (March 9, 1914 – December 25, 2009) was an art professor and artist specializing in ceramics who taught at Montana State University – Bozeman from 1946 to 1973. She was known as the "grandmother of ceramics in Montana". Du ...

, friends with Bray, encouraged them to take advantage of his clay studio. To pay their way, they worked in the brick factory during the day and created their own pottery in the evenings. They built the first building for their new residency program in the summer of '51.

References

External links

The Archie Bray FoundationThe Archie Bray Foundation GalleryThe Archie Bray Foundation Clay BusinessArchie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts page at ''Craft in America''
* {{Coord, 46.61416667, -112.08194444, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-MT Arts foundations based in the United States Education in Lewis and Clark County, Montana Non-profit organizations based in Montana Arts centers in Montana 1951 establishments in Montana Arts organizations established in 1951 Tourist attractions in Helena, Montana Historic American Engineering Record in Montana Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Montana National Register of Historic Places in Helena, Montana American pottery