John and Susanne Stephenson Honored with New Legacy Project and Exhibition in Ann Arbor
Ceramic artists Susanne (left in both photos) and John (right in both photos) Stephenson. Courtesy Stephenson Ceramic Studio and Mlive
John Stephenson (MFA Ceramics 1958) and Susanne Stephenson (MFA Ceramics 1960) are the subjects of a new legacy initiative honoring their six decades of contributions to the field. The Stephenson Ceramics Legacy Project launches this month with the opening of Visionaries, an exhibition celebrating the history, artistry, and lasting impact of this extraordinary pair.
Visionaries is on view June 6–October 31, Thursday–Saturday, 12–4 pm. The opening reception takes place Saturday, June 27, 6–8 pm, with live jazz and light refreshments.
John (1929–2015) and Susanne Stephenson (b. 1935) both earned their MFAs at Cranbrook Academy of Art, where they studied ceramics under the legendary Maija Grotell. John completed his degree in 1958 and went on to join the faculty at the University of Michigan that same year, where he taught for nearly four decades and served as interim Dean of the School of Art. Susanne completed her MFA in 1960 and joined the faculty at Eastern Michigan University in 1963, building an equally distinguished career as an artist and educator. Working side by side for over sixty years at their studio and three-acre property off Waters Road, each maintained a prolific and highly distinctive body of work while sustaining a deep creative partnership with each other and the medium.
Their work is represented in collections around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and Cranbrook Art Museum. John was elected to the American Craft Council College of Fellows in 2010; both are members of the International Academy of Ceramics.
Visionaries brings together a timeline of their lives and artistic work, with access to the studio, archives, and sculpture garden — a landscape shaped over decades into what the Stephensons’ family describes as a “vibrant haven for creativity and exploration.” The Legacy Project is also producing two catalogues documenting the Stephensons’ careers, and the public is invited to contribute memories and stories as part of the preservation effort.
Learn more:
Ann Arbor ceramics studio launches legacy project honoring renowned artists – MLive
Visionaries: The Stephenson Ceramics Legacy Project – U of M Stamps School of Art and Design
