Robert Briscoe lives in rural Minnesota and has been a professional potter for over 35 years making functional stoneware. His work is avidly collected throughout North America as well as in Japan. Selected collections include the Weisman Museum of Art in Minneapolis, the Racine Art Museumin Wisconsin, and the Margaret Harlow Collection at Bemidji State University.
Briscoe has exhibited in one-person shows, group exhibitions, and at art festivals such as the Smithsonian Craft Fair, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, the Philadelphia Craft Fair, as well as the Washington Craft Show. Some of his awards include a 2001 McKnight Fellowship; Awards of Excellence from the Clay National, Penn State University, ceramics awards at the Winter Park Festival of Art in Florida, Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver, the Washington Craft Show, and the Jerome Foundation Award in St. Paul.
He regularly teaches workshops throughout the US and Canada .
Born in Kansas City, Kansas in 1947, Robert graduated from Kansas State University and apprenticed with James Vandergriff of Zarah, Kansas and Lou and Al Wynne of Black Forest, Colorado.
I want my pots to engage people where they live and to play a part in their savoring of life. I make my pots to be part of people’s homes, celebrations and private moments. My pots are directly about food and flowers, cooking and display. For me, a successful pot is one that inspires the viewer to imagine serving a favorite recipe, displaying their garden’s blooms, or enjoying the sensual pleasures of a quiet dinner at home. These are simple pots, with quiet but robust surfaces, made in a scale meant to convey a sense of generosity.