About the Saint John's Pottery
Sister Johanna Becker, OSB and Richard Bresnahan at the dedication of the Johanna Kiln (1995). Photograph by James R. Dean.
Located on the campus of Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota, the Saint John’s Pottery embodies, by demonstration and practical experience, the integration of aesthetic, scientific, humanistic, and moral approaches to eco-mutual living in relation to nature. Current artists of the Saint John’s Pottery are:
Richard Bresnahan (founder, director, artist-in-residence)
Daniel Smith (studio manager)
Carter Slette (senior apprentice)
Hazel Danielsen-Wong (apprentice)
Tor Kartenson (apprentice)
The Saint John’s Pottery was founded in 1979 by master potter Richard Bresnahan, who has led the Pottery as director and artist-in-residence for more than 45 years. Bresnahan studied with art historian Sister Johanna Becker, OSB, and potter Bill Smith at Saint John’s University, followed by a nearly four-year apprenticeship in Karatsu, Japan, with a 13th-generation National Living Treasure family of ceramics.
As an artist, educator, and environmentalist, Bresnahan’s passion centers on creating handmade and functional pottery. His ceramic works are featured in many prominent collections, from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in Minnesota to the Idemitsu Museum of Arts in Tokyo, Japan.
Early on, Bresnahan created programming at the Saint John’s Pottery to host visiting artists and provide mentorship as part of an apprenticeship program, which provides formal training to post-undergraduate artists in sustainable resource development, ceramic production, and contemporary art theory. All apprentices receive salary, housing, food, and healthcare during their apprenticeship.
The Saint John’s Pottery is home to the Johanna Kiln, named after Bresnahan’s teacher, Sister Johanna. The kiln has a unique three-chamber design (front fire mouth, glaze chamber, and Tanegashima chamber) and is the largest wood-fired kiln in North America, fired every two years.
Closely connected to Saint John’s Abbey and University, the Saint John’s Pottery is an intellectual and spiritual space space on campus, embodying the commitment of St. John’s to the preservation of the environment, the linkage of work and worship, and the celebration of diverse cultures.
Ancient Pacific Rim methods of pottery are combined with available local resources and attention to process, anchoring a vision of eco-mutualism. Each piece is made from clay from a local clay deposit; glazes are made from plant ash; and sustainability is at the core each step of making work. The Saint John’s Pottery seeks ways to maintain and develop the environment and materials so that the creative process may speak to and span across generations.
Sister Jane Weber, OSB, and Sister Marlene Schwinghammer, OSB, light the 12th firing of the Johanna Kiln (2013). Photograph by Nate Jorgensen.
Chef Raghavan Iyer presents the closing meal for the 13th firing (2015). Photograph by Nate Jorgensen.
The matches are in hand for the lighting ceremony of the 15th firing of the Johanna Kiln (2019). Photograph by Nate Jorgensen.
Artist and teacher Mitsuo Kakutani watches over the front firemouth of the Johanna Kiln, 12th firing (2013). Photograph by Nate Jorgensen.
Documentaries
Numerous documentaries and publications have helped tell the story of Richard Bresnahan and the Saint John’s Pottery, including Clay Wood Fire Spirit by John Whitehead (Twin Cities Public Television, 1996), winner of two Emmy Awards. For a full list of documentaries and publications, visit the Saint John’s website.
ABOVE: The documentary Richard Bresnahan: The Taste of the Clay, produced by Prairie Public Television in 2014.
The film documents the 12th firing of the Johanna Kiln in September 2013. The process of firing includes seven weeks of loading the kiln, ten days of firing, two weeks of cooling, a week of unloading and nine months of cleaning. Bresnahan’s wife Colette organizes the chefs and the dinners that serve up to 300 people. The firing is a community-building event with many volunteers returning year after year. In this documentary, Bresnahan talks about his pottery and the related philosophies that guide his life and his teaching.
Online Ordering
Checkout on this website works as a reservation system. Payments will be processed over the phone, using the Saint John’s Pottery's onsite credit card readers; this allows the sale of work to be designated to distinct programs within the Pottery Studio. Here's how online ordering works:
Select items(s) and use the checkout system. During checkout, the price displays as $0 and payment is not processed. A message is sent to the Saint John’s Pottery where your order is reserved and packed for delivery. A summary of your order is emailed to you.
To complete the purchase, the Saint John’s Pottery (320-363-2930) will call you within two days of your order (Monday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm (CT)) to receive your payment method (credit card or check).
In this phone call, the Pottery will: provide you with the total bill for your order (price of item(s) + sales tax (+ shipping, if applicable)), and process your payment method.
Once your payment has been processed, your order will be delivered via the method you select at checkout—either curbside pickup or US Postal Service. If shipping, the tracking number will be emailed to you. The receipt for your bill will be boxed with your order.
If you have any questions, please let us know.
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Further detail on how to use the checkout system on this website:
On the page for an item you’d like to purchase, click the gray "Request" button (located near the item’s description). This will add the item to the website's shopping cart.
When you’re ready to submit your order, scroll to the top of the page. In the upper-right corner you will see a small shopping cart icon. Click on this shopping cart.
You will be shown a page with a summary of all the items in your shopping cart. Click the gray button that says "Checkout."
You will be shown a "Checkout" page. Complete the forms on this page:
Provide your email address
Select your delivery method (either shipping to a mailing address or visiting the Pottery Studio in Collegeville, Minnesota)
Provide the shipping address information. If not shipping, this can be your mailing address.
Provide your contact information (name and phone number)
Skip the billing address by clicking “Continue”
NOTE: you will *not* be asked for payment information at this time.
The final button you click is "Purchase." This will send the completed form to the Pottery Studio.
A summary of your order will be emailed to you.
To complete the purchase, the Saint John’s Pottery (320-363-2930) will call you within two days of your order (Monday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm (CT)) to receive your payment method (credit card or check). This process of accepting payments offline allows the Studio to designate purchases to different programs within the Studio (e.g., the sale of apprenticeship pieces help fund the apprenticeship program).
If you have any questions, please let us know.