Ruth Gowdy McKinley
Ruth Gowdy McKinley was an American-born Canadian ceramic artist noted for her skill in designing functional ceramic ware. She specialized in making teapots, cups and vases and was known for her attention to function and form.
Early life
Born in Brooklyn, New York, McKinley originally studied classical piano from the age of four and eventually was offered admission to study at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. McKinley then made the decision to work with pottery by enrolling, instead, to study in the Department of Industrial Design at the New York State College of Ceramics in Alfred. McKinley earned her BFA and MFA from Alfred University, the MFA in 1955. She emigrated to Canada with her husband Donald in 1967.Career
In 1967, she became the resident Potter at Sheridan College of Art and Design in Mississauga, Ontario. In 1973, she made her exhibition debut at the Ceramics International 1973 at the University of Calgary and won the Metal award. In 1976, she became the first potter elected into the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. In 1997, her retrospective was held at the Burlington Art Centre. Her work is included in the collections of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the Art Gallery of Burlington, the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, the Gardiner Museum, Toronto; and the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Quebec.The Ruth Gowdy McKinley project records are in Archives Ontario.