Donald E. Frith

b. 1924, Denver, Colorado

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, IL
Evansville Museum of Art & Sciences, Evansville, IN
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Lakeview Art Center, Peoria, IL
Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, NY
State Museum of Illinois, Springfield, IL
St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2000-08    Hot Tea!, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2000-08    Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
2006       The David Ryan Gallery, Orcutt, CA
2005       Juried Craft Exhibition, The San Luis Obispo Art Center, CA

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

2007        Welly, Emily. “Unique Teapot Treasures Created With Frith Finesse.” Santa Maria Times, January 26, 2007

ABOUT THE ARTIST

   Donald Frith served as founding member of the Illinois Crafts Council and the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts. His office at the University of Illinois served as the National office for NCECA for 10 years. He initiated the Stare exhibition while he was President of the North Central Region of the American Crafts Council. In 1966 the American Crafts Council awarded him a National Merit award and in 1971 he was awarded Fellow of the Council by NCECA. He has served as an officer in the Design Division of the American Ceramic Society, and in 1982 he was chosen for the Design Division Award for outstanding contribution to the field. He was elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Ceramic Society to serve a three-year term in 1986. In 1991 he was awarded Fellow of the Society by the American Ceramic Society.

   In his capacity as product designer for three pottery companies, Professor Frith designed many items that were nationally distributed. Look magazine featured one of these designs in a centerfold advertisement. In 1997 Frith was commissioned by the newly consecrated bishop of Peoria, Illinois to design his official Bishopric ring. The created ring in 18k yellow and white gold incorporated a Coat of Arms, a Latin Motto, a large pearl, rubies, and diamonds.

   The International Executive Service Corps has called on Professor Frith to serve five consulting assignments; two in Korea, one in Bogota, Columbia, South America, one in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and one in Cape Haitian, Haiti. The assignments had to do with design and production technology. In 1997 Frith was asked to give a three-week workshop at the Mara Institute of Technology in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

   In 1983 Frith contracted with the Chilton Book company to produce the book, Mold Making for Ceramics. The book appeared on the market in 1985 and immediately became the definitive reference worldwide on mold making. In connection with the book, Frith invented and patented a Shrink Compensating Calculator that enables the ceramist to produce products of an exact size. This calculator and another plaster calculator are included on the inside covers of the book, making it a complete working package to produce mold made ceramics.