Hood College wants to provide experiences for students and the community that are relevant beyond the classroom. One such experience was ‘All Fired Up: The Ceramic Sculpture of Don Reitz’, an exhibit which featured the late artist’s work. Gallery Director Jenna Gianni and Ceramic Arts Program Director Joyce Michaud were excited to show the pieces, on loan from the collection of Leatrice and Melvin Eagle. Ceramics students got to not only experience the art, but to work behind the scenes, researching and writing about the artist and some of his pieces.
Born in 1929, Reitz grew up interested in art and ways of expression. He would have been a poet but for dyslexia and his difficulties in processing language. Instead, he learned to express himself through his art. Upon earning his MFA from Alfred University in 1962, he began a career of creating and teaching. Focused on salt-glazing, a technique not commonly used at the time, he earned the nickname ‘Mr. Salt’ from his peers. He taught for more than 25 years before retiring in 1988. He continued to be an active member of the ceramics community until his death in 2014. Hood was proud to get the chance to show his work!
