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19.4: Peter Held

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    Peter Held

    Peter Held is a distinguished American art curator, historian, and appraiser, renowned for his contributions to contemporary ceramics and craft-based media. With a career spanning over three decades, Held has organized more than 200 exhibitions, including seven national traveling shows. He has authored numerous articles and served as editor and essayist for ten books on contemporary art and craft.

    Education and Career

    • Education: Bachelor of Science in Studio Art from SUNY Brockport; Master's degree in Museum Studies from Oregon State University; Certificate in Appraisal Studies from SUNY Purchase in partnership with the American Society of Appraisers (ASA).
    • Career Highlights:
      • Resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts (1974–1976).
      • Executive Director and Curator of the Holter Museum of Art, where he led a successful $2.3 million capital and endowment campaign.
      • Curator of Ceramics at the ASU Art Museum's Ceramics Research Center, significantly expanding the collection and organizing numerous influential exhibitions.

    Notable Exhibitions

    • Between Clouds of Memory: Akio Takamori, A Mid-Career Survey (2005)
    • Following the Rhythms of Life: The Ceramic Art of David Shaner (2007)
    • Eden Revisited: The Ceramic Art of Kurt Weiser (2009)
    • Wanxin Zhang: A Ten Year Survey (2010)
    • A Chosen Path: The Ceramic Art of Karen Karnes (2011)
    • Infinite Place: The Ceramic Art of Wayne Higby (2013)

    Selected Publications

    • The Art of Toshiko Takaezu: In the Language of Silence – Editor and essayist
    • Crafting a Continuum: Rethinking Contemporary Craft – Co-curator and contributor

    Awards and Honors

    • Ceramic Lifetime Achievement Award from the Friends of Contemporary Ceramics (2007)
    • Smithsonian’s James Renwick Alliance Distinguished Educator Award (2014)
    • National Council for Education on the Ceramic Arts Honorary Member Award (2014)

    Direct Quotes

    "My tenure at Arizona State University these last 11 years has been truly astonishing. Working with engaged colleagues and faculty members, energized students, talented artists, writers and researchers, and generous collectors and patrons has given me a solid platform to carry out my work. Every day there was something new to learn, and that never diminished for me over the years."

    — Peter Held, reflecting on his time at ASU Art Museum

    19.4: Peter Held is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 1.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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