Marguerite Wildenhain

Marguerite Wildenhain was trained as a sculptor in Germany and held an apprenticeship at the Bauhaus for six years beginning in 1919. She fled the Nazi regime, moving first to Holland and then California in 1940. In 1942, with the help of architect Gordon Herr, Wildenhain founded Pond Farm, an arts community in Guerneville, California. She lived and worked at Pond Farm until her death in 1985, becoming an influential mentor and teacher to generations of ceramic artists. For Wildenhain, pottery was more than an art form or profession. It was a way of life that promoted technical skills and a love of craft.