University City Ceramics

The story of University City Ceramics centers on the ambitious vision of publisher and entrepreneur Edward Gardner Lewis. In less than a decade, Lewis transformed 85 acres of land once used as a tent city during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition into a planned community and art academy. Through his project, known as “The People’s University,” he created a correspondence school in ceramics and recruited leading artists including Taxile Doat, Adelaide Alsop Robineau, and Frederick Hurten Rhead.

Though the school was short-lived due to financial troubles and internal conflicts, it brought together extraordinary talent and technical knowledge that helped influence ceramics education across the United States. Despite its brief existence, the work produced at University City remains an important chapter in American ceramics history and reflects the remarkable potential of the artists involved. In this series of events, we’ll dive deeply into the University City project over the course of six weeks and learn about Lewis and his dream while examining the life and careers of the principals.

Class Dates:
Saturday, March 14 at 1pm
Saturday, March 21 at 1pm
Saturday, March 28 at 1pm
Saturday, April 11 at 1pm
Saturday, April 18 at 1pm
Saturday, April 25 at 1pm