Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LaGrange College will host a reception to honor renowned artist and educator Richard Brown at the closing of his solo ceramic exhibition “Halcyon” on Friday, March 24, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lamar Dodd Art Center.

The event will also introduce his project “Changing Lives Through Clay.” The reception is open to the public and his raku ware will be available for purchase.

When he was 3 years old, Brown’s family moved from Jamaica to New York. He grew up in the Bronx and was always involved in drawing and painting. From the age of 13, Brown wanted a career in teaching. Eventually, he moved to Georgia where he taught in Clayton County.

At the age of 32, he discovered a new love of working with clay. He took a “leap of faith,” and after 17 years of teaching he put his energy and passion into work as a full-time potter. When he moved to Hogansville, he named his studio “Pottery 32” to represent the age he found his passion for clay.

As a lifelong educator, Brown easily connects with people all over the world. He shares his knowledge and love of learning through lectures both online and in person.

He describes his work as a “conduit” to people where the emotions and energy in his work continue in peoples’ homes and lives. “It’s about the people first, not really the pottery,” Brown often says. His message that we’re all on a journey together shows in his warmth and dedication to people and community.

In January, Brown visited LaGrange College, where he served as the juror for the 2023 Georgia High School Ceramic Arts Awards & Symposium. At the event, he examined hundreds of art entries by high school students, handed out awards and demonstrated work on a pottery wheel.

Concurrent with Brown’s exhibition is “More than Decor: Art is Community,” featuring work from the Lamar Dodd Art Center’s permanent collection. The exhibition celebrates artists who show their compassion through art and action as lifelong educators and activists.

While classes are in session, people can visit the center Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.