Mary Mikkelsen, Henry Pope, Mikpo Pottery

1952 Born

EDUCATION

Early 1970s Wheel throwing with Henry Pope

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1970s— Potter, Clay Artist, Mikpo Pottery, Mars Hill, North Carolina

BIOGRAPHY

Mary Mikkelsen is known for sculptural and functional pottery. She originally learned wheel throwing in the early 1970’s from Henry Pope, with whom she eventually started Mikpo Pottery. At times, she turned exclusively to hand building  resulting in her work  becoming more sculptural.

Mikkelsen and Henry Pope work independently, but by the end of the process most pieces become a mutual effort.  Mary is responsible for brushwork on thrown and hand built work while Henry is involved in the composition and layout of imagery on most pieces.

Mikpo pottery has had studios in Santa Cruz, California, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Asheville, North Carolina. In Charlottesville (1979-1998) they used several clays but mainly porcelain and a dark stoneware gas fired to cone 9. Once in Asheville, North Carolina they changed their firing process to cone 6 oxidations in an electric kiln. When Mikpo pottery switched firing processes, they also switched their glazes and glaze application technique to one glaze over another in irregular patterns to give variation and movement to the surface.

Public Collections

American Museum of Ceramic Art, AMOCA, Pomona, California

Website: mrymikpo.blogspot.com

Mikpo Pottery

Southern Highland Craft Guild