Mark Pharis is an American

ceramic art Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take varied forms, including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is a visual art. While ...

ist and

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

. He is the Chair of the Department of Art at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

, where he has been a faculty member since 1985. As of 2022, he was named a Fellow of the

American Craft Council The American Craft Council (ACC) is a national non-profit organization that champions craft based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1943 by Aileen Osborn Webb, the council hosts national craft shows and conferences, publishes a quarterly m ...

Biography and artwork

Pharis studied ceramics at the

under

Warren MacKenzie Warren MacKenzie (February 16, 1924 – December 31, 2018) was an American craft Pottery, potter. He grew up in Wilmette, Illinois the second oldest of five children. His high school days were spent at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illino ...

. Between 1971 and 1985, Pharis was employed by various universities, mostly in the American Midwest, as a visiting faculty member, sabbatical replacement and summer session faculty. During this time Pharis's work was featured in several group and two person shows as well as solo exhibitions. In 1985, Pharis became a professor in the Department of Art at the University of Minnesota, where he has also served as the Chair of the Department. Pharis's work often makes uses of clay to make functional vessels.Eden, Victoria; Metamorphosis; Ceramic Review no190 Jl/Ag 2001 His work can be found in the collections of the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

in London, the Gardner Museum in Toronto,

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

Tempe, Arizona Tempe ( ; ''Oidbaḍ'' in O'odham language, O'odham) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2020 population of 180,587. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in t ...

, the Ferguson Collection, the

Kansas City Art Institute The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a private art school in Kansas City, Missouri. The college was founded in 1885 and is an accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and Higher Learning Commission. The institute ...

, the Woodman Collection at the

University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...

, the

Everson Museum The Everson Museum of Art ( ) in Downtown Syracuse, New York, is a major Central New York museum focusing on American art. History The museum was founded in 1897 by art historian George Fisk Comfort (who also helped found the Metropolitan Muse ...

, and

Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum). LACMA was founded in 1961 ...

, among others. Pharis lives in

Roberts, Wisconsin Roberts is a village in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States, on the outer edge of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. The population was 1,919 at the 2020 census. The village is surrounded by the town of Warren. History Robert ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pharis, Mark Year of birth missing (living people) Living people University of Minnesota faculty University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts alumni 20th-century American ceramists People from St. Croix County, Wisconsin 21st-century American ceramists Ceramists from Wisconsin