Peter Lippincott, a studio potter from Fort Smith, Ark., has been named this year’s Arkansas Living Treasure by the Arkansas Arts Council.

Now in its ninth year, the Arkansas Living Treasure recognizes an Arkansan who excels in the creation of a traditional craft and who actively preserves and advances his or her craft through community outreach and educating others. A distinguished panel of practicing craft artists selects the recipient based on the quality of work, community outreach and total contribution to the field of traditional crafts.

“Not only does Peter continue to excel in his field, but he also tirelessly advocates the craft through teaching classes to both adults and children," said Joy Pennington, executive director of the Arkansas Arts Council. "Since he moved to Fort Smith, he was determined to build a clay community, and his efforts have made a positive impact both in Fort Smith and in the state of Arkansas.”

Although Lippincott had admired and collected the work of studio potters for years, he never planned to turn the craft into a career. With a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Illinois and post graduate work in secondary science, he didn’t begin his study of pottery until he was 38 years old. “I had always worked with my hands doing art projects with my artist mother and making musical instruments with my architect/woodworker father. Trying my hand at pottery seemed a natural,” he said.

Lippincott describes his work as “traditional stoneware but with a contemporary flair.” His work ranges from simple, functional stoneware with Asian influences to dynamic, large-scale vessels. Known for his extraordinary glazes, Lippincott mixes his own clay and glazes and forms his work one piece at a time by hand and or thrown by wheel.

After receiving five years of ceramic education from St. Louis Community College, Lippincott moved to Fort Smith in 1992. “Since moving to Arkansas, pottery has been my vocation,” he said. “Making a living at pottery has been an additional education. To survive, I combine retail and wholesale sales with extensive teaching.”

In addition to running Mudpuppy Studios in Fort Smith, Lippincott teaches private pottery lessons to adults and children. He began teaching classes at Westark Community College (now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith) and he now teaches classes at the Fort Smith Art Center. This is also his ninth year to teach in schools through the Arts Council’s Arts in Education program. In addition, he offers special classes for scout troops, church groups, nursing homes and other organizations.

“Of the more than 400 adult students I have taught, at least 25 have become relatively skillful potters and several continue to practice their craft on a full- or part-time basis,” he said. “This tells me they have developed their own voices as artists.”

Lippincott said he is nourished by the success of his students just as they are nourished by his teaching. “To me, working with student learners is a delight and a real source of energy. This is true of my most advanced students, as well as my 7-year-old granddaughter and all the students in between. The bond between teacher and student is joyous.”

His passion for pottery also inspires him to be an ambassador for the arts. He has served on many boards throughout the state, including the Center for Arts and Education in Van Buren, the Mayor’s Commission for the Arts in Fort Smith, the Fort Smith Art Center, the Arkansas Craft Guild and ArtQuest in Fort Smith. In addition, he teaches pottery at Project Dream Street, a residential camp in eastern Oklahoma for children with serious illnesses.

His work can be found in private collections throughout the United States and in Europe, and it has been exhibited in museums and galleries in the United States.