Stephen Joseph Polchert, Stephen Polchert

1920 Born

2008 Died

EDUCATION

1946-1948 Layton School of Art, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

1950-1951 University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

1952 BFA Ceramics, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

1953 MFA Ceramics, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1953-1954 University of Omaha, Joslyn Art Memorial, Omaha, Nebraska

1954-1978 Boy’s Town Trade School, Ceramic Department

1960-1963Dana College, Blair, Nebraska

1963-1966 College of St. Mary, Omaha, Nebraska

1957-1979 Bellevue College, Bellevue, Nebraska

1978-1985 Millard Senior High School, Millard, Nebraska

BIOGRAPHY 

Stephen Polchert is known for his wheel thrown porcelain and stoneware forms, some of which are large scale.  

To aid in realizing his vision of larger works, Polchert made scaled preparatory drawings for these large pieces. He preferred working with porcelain because the white was a perfect ground for his vivid color glazes. During his lifetime Polchert developed hundreds of glazes. Later in his career he focused on crystalline glazes that he felt complimented the forms he was throwing.

Polchert was associated with Maija Grotell from 1949 to 1953 while at Cranbrook. Grotell became an ongoing influence as was, to a lesser degree, British potter, Bernard Leach. Another influence was Polchert’s time in China during the Second World War when he was exposed to the narrow necked local pots.