January 10, 2026 @ 10:00 am – January 11, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
This workshop’s intent is a 2-day immersion into the practical and aesthetic possibilities of the teapot. We will make tea, drink tea, pour from teapots, think about teapots, talk about teapots, look at teapots, make parts for teapots, and generally spend two days considering the teapot’s potential as a work of ceramic art. You will make (and take home) wet teapot parts (nothing will be fired), sketches and photographs. Think of this as a weekend to collect ideas for later use. The days will be episodic, with time alternating between lecture, demonstration and work time in response to the ideas. The demonstrations will deal with ways to make bodies, spouts, lids and handles; some on the wheel and some handbuilt.
Please bring a willingness to explore new ways of thinking and working: leave behind any desire to make a finished masterpiece. We want to spend this time in wide-ranging exploration, not in trying to make the one, perfect teapot; that can take place after you get home.
What to bring:
Teapots, of course. If you have any favorite teapots (made by you or someone else), please bring them along. Please also bring any photos, photocopies, drawings, books, ideas, or just vague notions about teapots you have and are willing to share. If you have a favorite tea, you could bring that too.
Any throwing or handbuilding tools that you like and are accustomed to using (fettling knife or other small knife, palstic scraper, sponges, ribs, surform tools, serrated ribs, etc).
There will be a break for lunch both days. Feel free to bring your own lunch or visit one of the many restaurants within walking distance.
If you are curious about Pete Pinnell’s workshop but haven’t decided whether or not to sign up you may consider attending his artist talk. This will take place on Tuesday, December 2, from 12:30 – 1:30 pm.
Pete has provided a Pinterest page that you’re welcome to peruse.
Peter Pinnell earned a BA degree studying music at Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri, a BFA in art at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University (Alfred, NY) and an MFA in Art from the University of Colorado at Boulder. For the first 12 years of his career Pinnell made his living as a studio potter. During this time, he taught part-time at the Kansas City Art Institute and at Johnson County Community College in Kansas. In 1995 he joined the faculty at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. In the ensuing years, he and his colleagues built a nationally recognized ceramics program: US News & World Report ranks the UNL graduate ceramics program as one of the top ten in the country. In addition to his teaching, he exhibits widely, and his artwork is found in notable collections, including the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Sheldon Art Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. From 2008 -2014, he held the honorary college title of Hixson-Lied Professor of Ceramics, in recognition of his professional record. Pinnell enjoys researching the history, technology, and aesthetics of ceramics, which informs both his creative work as well as his teaching. He has spoken on these topics at a number of major ceramics conferences, including NCECA and Utilitarian Clay. Over the last 30 years, his writing and his work have appeared in Ceramics Monthly, Studio Potter, Clay Times and Ceramics Art & Perception.At the University of Nebraska, Pinnell served as chair of the Department of Art & Art History from 2011 – 2016. During that time, he led the department through the reaccreditation process, spearheaded the creation of an expanded design program (with two new bachelor’s degrees), created a new department digital lab and oversaw the creation of a student-run gallery. Pinnell’s record as a teacher extends beyond the university. During his career, he has taught professional workshops at Anderson Ranch, Arrowmont, Penland, the Archie Bray Foundation, over 20 colleges and universities, and at numerous community art centers. Pinnell has been active in service outside the university. From 2012 -2016 he was involved in art accreditation, serving as a site visitor for the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). From 2019 to 2023 he served on the Board of Directors of NCECA (the National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts), including two years as President of the Board.
