Above are the words pottery artist Simon Levin uses to describe himself professionally on his Instagram account. He could easily add Innovator, Clay Lover, Mentor, Teacher, Award Winner and Wood-Firing Kiln Builder.
Levin, 55, is a highly skilled and gifted creator of one-of-a-kind utilitarian pottery, including plates, cups, bowls, vases and jars. He explains that pottery is a beautiful art form, but it can also be functional and part of everyday life.
Known around the world, he became part of the central Illinois arts community in 2017 when his wife, Reverend Susan Phillips, accepted the position of pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. They moved from rural Wisconsin, where he founded Mill Creek Pottery in 1999, to Pawnee, where he established his second Mill Creek Pottery location. His artwork is currently displayed at the inaugural exhibition, Shadow and Light, at the New Mexico Museum of Art Viadem Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The exhibition, which continues through April 2024, features pieces from 30 artists. "It is a huge honor to be included in this exhibition," Levin said. "It was also a joy to collaborate on a larger project with Native Futurist Virgil Ortiz."
Levin became hooked on pottery in 1990 during a college ceramics class in his senior year. It quickly became his career choice. He went on to earn a master of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1998.
In the early 1990s, Levin experienced working with wood-fired kilns. He became intrigued by the process, and it became his life's work.
"I was drawn to wood firing by the very primal human connection we have with earth and fire," he says. "I fell in love with the river of dancing flames in a wood-burning kiln. The flames that touch the pottery are etched into the surface and falling ashes create a natural glaze. No two pieces look exactly alike."
He has built three wood-fired kilns for his own use: an ancient Korean-style kiln called an anagama, a contemporary cross-draft kiln and a third, at his home in Illinois, based on the "train kiln" model designed by John Nealy, a renowned professor of art in ceramics at Utah State University. Many colleges and universities across the country and internationally have sought out Levin to build kilns for their institutions.
The train kiln is a massive structure made of brick and is so named because it resembles a traditional steam locomotive. At one end of the kiln is a small tower where the wood is stoked. The chamber in the center of the kiln, where pottery is loaded, is large enough to climb into and has space for about 300 pieces. The chamber opening is closed with bricks before the firing begins. Flames pass through the top of the firebox in a downward direction toward the pottery. The air, smoke and ash are drawn across the pottery and up through a chimney at the other end of the kiln.
Levin usually fires his train kiln four times a year. "It is a weeklong labor of love," he says. "It takes a day to meticulously load the pottery. The pottery is fired for 52 hours at a temperature that rises to 2,400 degrees F. It requires constant monitoring of the temperature, oxygen level and need for additional wood. The pottery cools over the next three days, which is followed by hand sanding each piece."
Levin is assisted in the firings by the apprentices he teaches. He launched the apprenticeship program in 2004 to grow and expand pottery artistry. "I provide the facilities, materials, opportunities and guidance," he explains. "To date, I have had the pleasure of helping 24 burgeoning artists learn, experiment and find their own artistic voices."
Levin travels extensively to hone his craft, collaborate with other artists and share his technique. He also lectures, writes articles and hosts a video series on the Ceramics Arts Network (https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/clayflicks/clayflicks-exclusives/talking-clay). In 2013, he received a Senior Fulbright Scholar award giving him the opportunity to become a visiting artist and researcher at Tainan National University of the Arts in Taiwan, where he explored and tested unique local clays.
In 2020, Levin was inspired to start a small-batch mentorship program he named Clay Cohorts. "The idea came to me during the pandemic when everything was moving to online learning," he says. "Over a year's time, we meet online as individuals and as a group to move the conversation, ideas and the work to the next level. At the end of the coursework, we gather for a weeklong wood-fire workshop using my train kiln. That is followed by a gallery exhibition. This program is for the intrinsically motivated student who has access to studio space but is hungry for feedback and mentoring."
In 2021, with the success of Clay Cohorts, Levin brought in a program manager and added two more mentors. He also renamed the program to Cohorts.Art to offer mentorship opportunities to those in other art disciplines. He currently has five mentors working with him; next year the program will grow to seven mentors working with 40 students.
With the growth and reach of Cohorts.Art, the program was recognized by Ceramic Arts Yearbook as the 2024 Ceramic Project/Artist of the Year. Read the article at https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/pottery-making-illustrated/pottery-making-illustrated-issue/ceramic-arts-yearbook
Levin sums up his career saying, "It's been rewarding to be engaged in this beautiful process. I feel part of a long history of makers, advancing the art of pottery and providing guidance to other artists. I'm excited to see what comes next."
Jean Campbell is a Springfield freelance writer who is always learning through her writing.
