David MacDonald at MSClayworks 2023 in Tupelo

​78-year-old David MacDonald lives and works in Syracuse, New York. Now known as an emeritus ceramic professor, his work extended beyond his college students as he teaches and exhibits his ceramic artwork around the country.

MacDonald received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) in 2011, after he had already retired (2008), a milestone after 38 years of teaching college students.  His exceptional talent, innovative techniques, and passion for creating and teaching live on.
David's love for pottery was ignited during his college years when he held a coffee mug that was made during a class that he needed as a pre-requisite for his undergraduate studies. The act of drinking coffee from his own clay mug became the pivotal moment in which a painting artist student turned into a future leading American Ceramic teacher and artist.

The turmoil in the country surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy was tension-filled years for a young black student. It affected his early work, as it reflected the effects it had on his heart and mind. One good day, however, a kind lady’s words turned his whole career from anger to pride and once his career took off, Macdonald never looked back.

Encouraged by his former instructors, Bob Stull and Joseph Gilliard, MacDonald’s legacy started building.  His extensive research in finding his heritage led him to study East- and South African art and cultural patterns which became symbols that he wrote on proverbial clay slates.  His cups, plates and bowls started carrying signs of the fragility of the human spirit on its surface.  Functional and wheel-sculpted vessels took on a vibrancy as his research took him deeper into studies of the ethnic groups south of Saharan Africa. The riches of patterning are found there abundantly on pottery decoration, textiles, body decoration, and architecture. 

​MacDonald's pottery encompasses a wide range of utilitarian ceramic forms. He embraced his talents, and over time, his influence on peers and students established him as a prominent leader in his field.

The impact that his teaching mentors had on his life formed part of the building blocks of his career. One such incident was when Bob Stull visited his studio and saw the potential of an ebony tool that could be used for carving.
Another was a saying by Joseph Gilliard: “You can take this material that has no intrinsic value and turn it into something which is not only beautiful but also useful.”
These little golden nuggets stay with David to this day.

His recently deceased wife was a passionate quilter, a craft that connects his designs to American culture, which David celebrated through his "Quilt series." The series showcases a striking contrast between elegant simplicity and intricate surface design, blending traditional and contemporary aesthetics seamlessly.

At the MSClayworks conference, David Macdonald will showcase his lifelong passion for form, texture, and color as he creates practical items from clay, a material described by someone as having "no intrinsic value..." His mastery of ancient pottery techniques, blended with modern styles, has resulted in a stunning fusion of tradition and innovation. His pieces radiate elegance and sophistication, achieving a harmonious balance. Tupelo will be privileged to host this esteemed artist, whose work has been admired globally for over half a century. David will return as an inspiring instructor, continuing to captivate his audience. MSClayworks 2023 marks the second clay conference in Mississippi. 

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See more of the other ceramic artists who demonstrated at MSClayworks.
2023 David MacDonald | Stacey Hardy | Eric Botbyl 
2022 Danny Meisinger | Susan Thomas | Sam Clark