Join us for “University City Ceramics: A Fresh Look,” a six-part online lecture series!

Led by SMCF Executive Director Jonathan Clancy, Ph.D., this series explores Edward Gardner Lewis’ ambitious University City Ceramics project and the pioneering artists he brought together, including Taxile Doat, Adelaide Alsop Robineau, and Frederick Hurten Rhead. Though the project was short-lived, it became a remarkable moment in American ceramics history and helped shape the future of ceramics education.

Session Six: April 25, at 1:00 PM EDT via Zoom
Taxile Doat: University City and Beyond

From his arrival in St. Louis in 1909 to his departure in 1914, Doat remained enthusiastic about the prospect of American ceramics, even as Lewis’s fortunes faltered and the Art Academy he worked so hard to bring to fruition crumbled around him. This session will explore the two phases of University City pottery: The Art Academy of the People’s University (and the work Doat made for this and the American Woman’s League) and the later University City Porcelain Works, a commercial operation that lasted from 1912-1914.

We’ll examine Doat’s works, as well as his words through letters preserved in archives in St. Louis and Philadelphia among other places. Tracing Doat’s eventual return to France as the first World War broke out, we’ll also look at the connections he kept to University City. To round out his remarkable career, we will also look at how his work evolved upon his return to France, the impact of his teaching on American ceramics, and I can share some news about an upcoming exhibition.

A La Carte
Member Price: $30 / session
Non-Member Price: $35 / session

Full Course
Member Price: All 6 sessions for $150 (one session free)
Non-Member Price: All 6 sessions for $210

Registration is required. Once registered and paid, you will receive an email prior to each session with a link to join.

Do you have a scheduling conflict for the live session? You can still enjoy the program. Register and we’ll send you the recording! All paid attendees will be emailed a private link to the session recording when it is available, typically 6-7 days after the live program.

Missed us? You can also register retroactively. If you register for a session that has passed, you’ll receive access to the recording when it is ready.

Haven’t tried a session yet? Each session is planned as a “stand-alone” lecture, so you can take them all or attend the topics that interest you most.