Martha Holt

Born 1945 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

EDUCATION

1967    BS Geology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida

1971    MFA Ceramics, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

APPRENTICESHIPS & RESIDENCIES

1968    Studio Apprentice to Ron Probst, Penland School of Craft, North Carolina

Summer 1970 Resident, Pottery Northwest, Seattle, Washington

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1976-1983 Gallery Director at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania

BIOGRAPHY

Martha Holt is known for functional stoneware as well as conceptual installations, which combined realistic, mold-made ceramic sculptures, photographs and photograms.

Holt’s series “Perceptual Ambiguities” displayed slip cast forms of the tiles from her studio floor, along with bag of powdered clay and packaging material, photographs and photograms of her ceramic work. Another of Holt’s installation was an equally conceptual series “Objective Impressions,” which featured clay tiles with photographs, so the bottom half of a tile might be clay and the top half might be a photograph. They often took the shape of mathematical symbols, such as a plus sign or equal sign.

Later in life, Holt worked on more abstracted sculpture inspired by the nature around her studio in Pennsylvania.