The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts (also known as "The Bray") is a public, nonprofit, educational institution located 3 miles from downtown Helena, Montana, 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 United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

as the "Western Clay Manufacturing Company". The

artist residency Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

program is the core of the foundation.

Rudy Autio Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch polit ...

, 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 ...

, 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. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fiel ...

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