Garth Clark was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1947. He graduated from London’s Royal College of Art with a Master of Arts degree in ceramics in 1976. He now lives in New York City.

Garth Clark is the preeminent authority on modern and contemporary ceramic art. He is the author, editor and contributor to twenty-three books and over one hundred monographs, essays and catalogs. His most recent are Shards: Garth Clark on Ceramic Art (DAP 2004), Gilded Vessel: The Life and Art of Beatrice Wood (guild) and The Artful Teapot (Thames and Hudson.) He is currently at work on a biography of the photographer George Platt Lynes and a major history on ceramics in modern and contemporary ceramics.

Mr. Clark is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including: the Art Critics Award of the National Endowment of the Arts; the Art Book of the Year Award from the Art Libraries Society of North America; the Fellow of the Royal College of Art, London 1996; Visionaries: Lifetime Achievement Award from the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, 1999; Honorary Doctorate: University of Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, England 2000; “Honor of the Council” National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts 2001; the CLAY Award, Friends of Contemporary 2001; the Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Kansas City Art Institute 2002; and the Fellow of American Craft Council’s College for distinguished scholarship 2002.

Together with Mark Del Vecchio, Mr. Clark owns and directs a gallery for ceramic art in New York City, founded in 1981, and has opened a second space for large-scale sculpture and experimental work in Long Island City. Since 1979 he has also served as the founding director of the non-profit group, the Ceramic Arts Foundation (CAF), which is dedicated to advancing scholarship in the field through international conferences. The last was held in 1999 and attracted 3,500 delegates from 65 countries. He has been active in fundraising for many arts organizations from the Museum of Arts and design in New York to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as well as for AIDS charities, GMHC, Visual AIDS and Housing Works, devising events that have raised over $2 million. For five years he was also president of the one of the most progressive international dance groups, The Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Dance Company. He and his partner and life companion of 25 years, Mark Del Vecchio have raised his two sons together, Kellam and Mark Richard Clark, unquestionably their greatest accomplishment.

Additional Resources: View video of Mr. Clark accepting his achievement award at the AILF event December 3, 2004, in New York. www.garthclark.com