New Audio Story: "Black Artists Are Reshaping How We Think About American Ceramics"

Dear Friends,

This week—fittingly, on Juneteenth—we’re delighted to release a new audio story to add to our growing podcast collection.

Since 2021, June 19 has been observed as a U.S. federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, and honoring the myriad contributions that Black Americans have made—in our music, in literature and the arts, in American sports, and in numerous other aspects of our nation’s culture.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation declared enslaved people in the Confederate states free on Jan. 1, 1863, freedom did not reach many enslaved Texans until June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived to enforce emancipation. That day is now celebrated as Juneteenth.

Today’s story, while focused on the work of contemporary Black ceramicists, also reflects on this period in history, and explores the legacy of early American artists and craftspeople who were enslaved just a few generations ago.

We hope you’ll enjoy listening to: “Black Artists Are Reshaping How We Think About American Ceramics,” written by Ruth Terry and narrated by Chinwe Oniah. (And if you’d like to read or revisit the original story, you’ll find the full version linked below.)

While we are happy to offer this new audio story to everyone for free, we’ll include a gentle reminder here that paid subscriptions help us continue to produce thoughtful, original stories of mastery and tradition, and to pay our contributors fair market rates. So if you haven’t done so already, please consider supporting our work.

If you’re new to our community, the Craftsmanship podcast includes audio versions of some of our favorite stories, as well as interviews with artisans, subject experts, and other special guests. You can listen to these recordings on our YouTube channel and many other popular streaming services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

We always welcome your thoughts and suggestions, which you can offer in a comment, a Substack Note, or via email. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for supporting our work with a paid subscription if you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.

Sincerely,

·

August 15, 2025

Contemporary ceramicists are continuing a long legacy of Black Americans working in clay. As they find new ways to tell their stories, the art world is finally catching up.

Find more stories featuring Black artisans on the website:
(Topic search: Black Artisans)

Explore Black Artisans

Craftsmanship Magazine focuses on master artisans and innovators whose work informs our quest: to create a world built to last. In addition to our Substack offerings, you’ll find a rich archive of stories, podcasts, photo essays, and documentary shorts on our free website—along with community resources like our Artisans’ Directory, our guide to U.S.-based craft & folk schools, and much more.