Mud and Patience

Out of mud and patience comes the form of something useful—and sometimes something beautiful,” noted the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. It’s a sentiment reflected in the life and work of Frank Vickery, the Director of Ceramics at The Bascom in Highlands.

In his hands, a piece of clay can transform into an exquisite vase or bowl. Yet, his work goes beyond the creation of ceramic pieces. Vickery is also a teacher driven to pass on his knowledge to students of all ages and skill levels.

“I lose track of time when I’m working,” he says. “I just like making stuff and sharing the experience with other people.”

Vickery dreamed in his youth of becoming a professional soccer player. As time marched on, his focus shifted from achieving athletic excellence to becoming a skilled artist and artisan. He received a Bachelor's in Art Education and a Bachelor's in Fine Art from Winthrop University in South Carolina, as well as a Master of Fine Art degree from WesternCarolina University.

With degrees in hand, he honed his teaching skills at a South Carolina middle school. “I eventually wanted to be a college professor, but I found The Bascom and knew this was a place where I could combine both my passions, teaching and working with clay.  I really love it here."

That’s easy to understand for anyone who has visited The Bascom, where architectural and natural beauty combine to form a mountain sanctuary ideal for fostering artistic inspiration.

In 2010, Vickery served as the center’s first resident artist and in 2014 became the Director of Ceramics. In the ensuing years, he transformed the program from its modest origins into a dynamic center of learning with a first-class studio and exhilarating culture. The facilities include pottery wheels, several kilns, plenty of space for instruction, and all the materials needed by students and professionals alike.

The ceramics program attracts people of varying backgrounds and expertise, including those of school-age and adults seeking to develop their abilities into a thriving occupation. The program also appeals to many senior retirees striving to keep their spirits young by developing new and enjoyable skills.

Under Vickery’s leadership, the program has developed a solid regional reputation for excellence. As the program grows, he expects it will attain a significant national reputation as well.

In keeping with the community outreach philosophy of The Bascom, scholarships are offered to people who can’t afford the cost of instruction, materials, and studio time.

The Bascom hosts two annual pottery shows per year where studio members display their wares, with proceeds from sales shared by the students and the institution. Each year, too, studio members make hundreds of ceramic pieces for the Empty Bowls fundraiser, with proceeds from sales benefitting the Highlands Food Pantry.

Vickery has the highest praise for those who support The Bascom and its mission of expanding appreciation for the visual arts. “I couldn’t do what I’m doing,” he says, “without the support of the patrons, the Board, students, staff, and volunteers who make all this possible.”

Vickery’s teaching and leadership abilities are unassailable, as is his skill as a ceramic artist. From his potter’s wheel and kiln emerge ceramic pieces of balance and elegance.

“If you enjoy the feeling of making, clay is the ultimate medium,” he says. “There are lots of steps … get the clay, cut the clay, fashion it, apply the glaze, fire it. Not everything works out, and the process can humble you quickly.”

Vickery has been researching and developing a technique called "crystalline glazing,” which is among the most technically taxing processes in the ceramics field. It demands exacting control of kiln temperatures that enable crystals in the glaze to grow into intricate, unique patterns verging on the cosmic.

“It doesn’t always work out,” Vickery notes, “but when it does, the results are striking.”

Indeed, when looking at one of Vickery’s crystalline vases, one might recall the words of the poet Keats as he admired an urn from ancient Greece:

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty, — that is all Ye know on earth and all ye need to know.”