Nan Bangs McKinnell: A Legacy in Ceramics
Nan Bangs McKinnell (1913–2012) was a prominent American ceramicist and educator whose impact on the field of ceramics endures to this day. As a founding member of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts and a distinguished member of the American Craft Council College of Fellows, her contributions to ceramic art were both innovative and influential. Alongside her husband, James “Jim” McKinnell, she created a body of collaborative work that showcased their shared passion for pottery and artistry. This article explores her early life, education, career, thematic focuses, exhibitions, public collections, awards, and her lasting legacy.
Early Life and Education
Born on July 1, 1913, in Stanton, Nebraska, Nan Bangs grew up in an environment that nurtured her artistic talents. Her mother encouraged her and her brother to take piano lessons, fostering an early appreciation for the arts. As Nan matured, she earned extra money by playing music for churches and performances, which solidified her connection to the arts. Her parents recognized her artistic spirit and provided private art lessons when she was just nine years old.
After graduating from high school, Nan aimed to become a teacher. However, due to financial constraints and societal norms that discouraged higher education for women at the time, her father was hesitant to support her aspirations. Undeterred, Nan secured a job at the student supply store at Wayne State Teacher’s College. The store’s manager hired her on the spot and offered room and board, enabling Nan to persuade her father to assist with her tuition while she worked towards earning her teaching certificate.
After teaching at a one-room schoolhouse for a year, she returned to college and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Music and Education. Following graduation, she taught at a town school in Nebraska for several years but felt unfulfilled by 1940. This dissatisfaction prompted her move to Seattle, where she resumed teaching while supporting her family back in Nebraska.
While working in Seattle, Nan applied for graduate school at the University of Washington. She began taking summer classes in art and found herself drawn to ceramics after switching from painting and design classes. During World War II, while many men were away at war, Nan took on teaching roles in architectural drawing and design courses at the university. In 1946, European ceramist Paul Bonifas invited her to be his assistant as he established a ceramics department at the university.
It was during this period that Nan met Jim McKinnell, a student in Bonifas’s class. Their shared passion for pottery blossomed into romance, leading to their marriage in 1948 after Nan completed her senior thesis project. She later obtained a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree in ceramics from the University of Washington.
Career Milestones
Nans’s artistic style was significantly influenced by contemporary design principles and industrial aesthetics. Early in her career, she emphasized functionality in her work; indeed, her master’s thesis project was a complete tea set designed for mass production. This focus on practical design would characterize much of her later work.
The couple traveled extensively throughout their married life—lecturing at colleges and artist colonies across America and internationally while refining their craft together. In 1953, they attended a ceramics workshop at the Archie Bray Foundation in Montana where they decided to stay for several years. It was here that Nan began developing glazes that would become iconic within the ceramics community; notably, her deep copper glaze is still widely used today.
As their collaborative work evolved over time, it blended both artists’ styles beautifully. Often one would create forms on the potter’s wheel while the other added decorative elements—a process that emphasized both their individual talents and mutual respect for each other’s artistic vision. Nan had a particular affinity for natural shapes found in flowers, leaves, insects, and animals—elements she frequently incorporated into her decorative works.
Thematic Focuses
A recurring theme in Nan’s work is her love for teapots. Not only did she enjoy sharing tea with friends but also collected teapots and tea sets crafted by fellow artists as well as creating many unique pieces herself. She often utilized teapots as teaching tools—using them to demonstrate principles of functionality, form design techniques, glazing methods, and decoration styles.
This thematic focus not only underscored her love for social engagement through tea but also reflected her commitment to teaching others about the rich tapestry of ceramic art.
Exhibitions
Throughout her career, Nan held several solo exhibitions that showcased both her work and
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