Will Ruggles, Douglas Rankin, Rock Creek Pottery

1956 Born Elkhart, Indiana

APPRENTICESHIPS AND RESIDENCIES

1976-1978 Apprentice, Randy Johnston Pottery, River Falls, Wisconsin

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1978-1980 Co-owner, Potter, Hillcrest Pottery, Beldenville, Wisconsin

1980-2007 Potter, Rock Creek Pottery, Bakersville, North Carolina

 

Will Ruggles, along with Douglass Rankin, made a wide line of functional, wood-fired pottery: tall jars, pitch­ers, platters, plates, teapots, cups, rice bowls and serving bowls.

The pots are wheel thrown or drape molded with simple decorations: sometimes plain brushwork with slip, and once-fired glazes. 

Will Ruggles and Douglass Rankin co-owned and operated Rock Creek Pottery in North Carolina for many years. Their pots are influenced by the Hamada-Leach-Yanagi tradition in aesthetics and production methods, which were introduced to them by Randy Johnston, who had studied in Japan.

In addition to being well known for their pottery, Ruggles and Rankin held instructional workshops on kiln building, advising and helping many potters and institutions.

As of June 2017, The Marks Project is not aware that Ruggles and Rankin are producing any pottery.

Public Collections

Gregg Museum of Art and Design, North Carolina State

Midwest Museum of Art, Elkhart, Indiana

North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, North Carolina

Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville, North Carolina

University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Bibliography

Harkey, Linda. “Will Ruggles and Douglass Rankin: Rock Creek Pottery.” Ceramics Monthly 50, no. 7 (September. 2002).

Hluch, Kevin A. The Art of Contemporary American Pottery.  Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2000.

Hopper, Robin. Stayin’ Alive: Survival Tactics for the Visual Artist. Iola WI: Krause Publications, 2003.

Joslin, Michael and Ruth Joslin. More Mountain People, Places and Ways: Another Southern Appalachian Sampler. Johnson City TN: The Overmountain Press, 1992.

Lawton, Jim, Suzanne J. Tourtillott, and Linda Kupp. 500 Teapots: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Design, v. 2. Asheville NC: Lark Crafts 2013.

Minogue, Coll, and Robert Sanderson. Wood-fired Ceramics: Contemporary Practices. Philadelphia PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000.

Rankin, Douglass, and Will Ruggles. “Rock Creek Climbing Kiln, Part I”. The Studio Potter 22, no. 1 (December 1993).

Rankin, Douglass, and Will Ruggles. “Rock Creek Climbing Kiln, Part II”. The Studio Potter 22, no. 2 (June 1994).

Tourtillott, Suzanne J. E. ed. 500 Bowls: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Design. Asheville NC: Lark Crafts: 2003.

Triplett, Kathy. Handbuilt Tableware: Making Distinctive Plates, Bowls, Bowls, Mugs, Teapots, and More. Asheville NC: Lark Crafts, 2003.

Troy, Jack. Wood-Fired Stoneware and Porcelain. Iola WI: Krause Publications, 1997.

 

Website: www.rockcreekpottery.com

Rock Creek Pottery

 

 

 

	This research was supported by a Craft Research Fund Grant from the Center For Craft
	American Museum of Ceramic Art