C H E C K I N G IN
Left: Cynthia Bringlc,
shown here in her North
Carolina studio, has
been inviting people to
watch her work since
the 1960s, when she
first set up shop in the
Memphis area.
Right: These stoneware
pitchers from 2009,
both thrown and carved,
are just a small sample of
Bringle’s continued and
varied output, which
includes porcelain and
raku works.
C y n t h i a B r i n g l e :
D e t e r m
i n e d t o B e S e e n
C Y N T H IA BRINGLE DOESN’T
h esitate to ta k e c e n te r stage at
th e p o tte r’s w h e e l. A s on e o f
th e first fem ale cla y artists to set
u p sh o p in th e M e m p h is area in
th e 19 60s, B rin g le fo u n d that
in v itin g cu riou s m em b ers o f th e
co m m u n ity in to h er stu d io to
w a tc h h er w o r k w a s th e b est
w a y to gain a cce p ta n ce and
p a tro n s. A s a w o m a n earn in g
h er liv in g m ak in g p o tte ry w h e n
b e in g a w ife and m o th er w a s th e
n o rm , sh e fa ce d ch allen ges and
n ay sa ye rs. B u t B rin g le n e v e r
lo st h er co n fid e n ce o r d o u b ted
h er callin g in life .
“ T h is is w h a t I lik e d o in g ,”
sh e ex p la in s. “ I d ecid ed to d o it
and n e v e r th o u g h t ab ou t all th e
th in gs y o u had to g o th ro u g h to
m ake it w o r k .”
In 1970 B rin g le m o v e d h er
stu d io to th e P en la n d S ch o o l o f
C ra fts in N o rth C a ro lin a , w h e re
she h ad sp e n t sum m ers te ach in g
w o rk s h o p s . N o rm S ch u lm an ,
a fe llo w c ra ft artist and frie n d ,
w r o te o f B rin g le ’s self-relian ce,
h e r rap p o rt w ith y o u n g p o tte rs,
and o v e ra ll c o n v ic tio n in ou r
Ju n e 19 77 fe a tu re , a p tly title d
“ P o tte r o f P e n la n d .” T h irty -
fo u r y e a rs late r, B rin g le is still
at w o r k in th e sam e P en lan d
stu d io on a v a r ie ty o f p ro je cts
- fro m p o rcela in b o w ls and
sto n e w a re p itch e rs to larger
rak u v e sse ls. R e sid e n ts and
to u rists still co m e to w a tc h h er
w o r k and ch at ab o u t th e fin er
p o in ts o f c la y and life .
A p assio n ate ed u ca to r to this
d a y , B rin g le a lw a y s m akes tim e
to b e a stu d en t h e rse lf. T a k in g
classes in w o o d w o rk in g , p a p e r-
m ak in g , and fla m e w o rk in g , she
has a se e m in g ly en d less d esire
to learn n e w sk ills b ecau se , as
she sa y s, “ th e y g e t m e o u t o f m y
o w n sp ace and a llo w m e to c o m -
m u n icate in a d iffe re n t w a y
w ith a d iffe re n t m aterial.”
Y e t , sh e p o in ts o u t, w h e n p e o -
p le catch sig h t o f a b e n ch or
p a in tin g she has cre a te d , th e y
can re c o g n iz e it as u n iq u ely
h ers. It is th is d istin ctiv e n e ss
in h er w o r k and h e r d ed icatio n
as a cra ftsp erso n th at h ave
led to m a n y h o n o rs fo r B rin g le ,
n am ed a N o rth C a ro lin a L iv in g
T re a su re in 2009.
In th e fu tu re , B rin g le says
she w a n ts “ to ju s t k e e p m akin g
w o r k th at e x c ite s m e. I f it
d o esn ’t e x c ite m e w h e n I’v e
m ade it, I ’m n o t g o in g to p u t it
in th e k iln s. I te ll p e o p le , ‘ L o o k
at h isto ry ; w h a t has rem ain ed is
cla y . I f it’s n o t g o o d to b egin
w ith , d o n ’t fire it - b ecau se it
w ill b e aro u n d fo r e v e r .’ ”
-J E S S I C A S H A Y K E T T
Jessica Shaykett is the Am erican
Craft Council librarian.
A L ib ra ry o f C ra ft
LO CATED IN SU ITE
2 0 0
OF
1224 M arsh all S tre e t N E in
M in n e a p o lis, th e A m e ric a n
C ra ft C o u n cil lib rary is on e o f
th e larg e st c o lle ctio n s o f cra ft,
art, and d esig n b o o k s and o th er
p u b lica tio n s, d o cu m en tin g th e
stu d io c ra ft m o v e m e n t fro m th e
1940s to th e p rese n t. T h e m ore
than 14,000 vo lu m e s in clu d e the
co u n c il’s 70 -year p u b lish in g
h isto ry , w ith all past issues o f
Craft H orizons
and
Am erican
Craft.
In each issu e , w e v isit th e
stack s and fo llo w up w ith a craft
artist w e ’v e c o ve re d b efo re.
O u r library is free and open to the
public, 10 a.m . - 5 p.m ., M o n d ay-
F rid ay. W e h op e y o u ’ll visit.
112 american craft apr/mayn
www.downmagaz.com
Pitcher photos: Tom Mills
