DON REITZ: A Life in Clay

Lucy Lacoste Gallery announces it’s presentation of A Life in Clay, a solo exhibition of works by the ceramic artist Don Reitz (1929-2014) on from August 8 -- August 29, 2026 in Concord MA.

Don Reitz was a larger-than-life figure, recognized as one of the most influential and important ceramic artists of the contemporary era. He earned his status as a ceramic legend by making innovative work in every chapter of his career. Long interested in abstraction, color, painting and drawing he combines all these elements in the body of ceramic sculpture we are showing.   

The scope of Reitz’s work is wide. He found color exciting and healing. In the beginning he made his name by salt-glazing which he revitalized by adding color. After an accident in 1982 he began painting on clay using brightly colored slips at low temperatures. When his physical and spiritual self no longer required the color and imagery, he turned to the natural palette of wood-firing. Making marks has been important to him since he was a youth, drawing in the dirt and making hieroglyphic symbols on paper for notes.

This solo exhibition shows a range of Mr. Reitz’s work. Works from his Sara series, started when his niece was very ill and he was in the hospital recuperating from a serious auto accident, are based on the drawings they sent each other for support. Anagama ash pieces were carefully chosen to represent different aspects of that medium.  The high fire color pieces are his most recent and represent exciting new breakthroughs. As with the techniques of salt and wood-firing, Reitz has developed a range of color and surface effects previously unknown while preserving the energy and freshness of his marks and drawing on clay.

Born in 1929, Reitz received his Masters at Alfred University in the early 1960’s. He was Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin where he taught for 26 years, and he has influenced generations of artists.  His list of awards and medals is lengthy, and he is considered one of the top 10 ceramic artists of the post-World War II generation in the US.  Work by Don Reitz can be found in key museums in the U.S., including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, LACMA, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, and the Renwick Museum of Art in Washington, D.C. as well as in many private collections.

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