The 4 members of The Firm (Shane Christensen, Brian Jensen, Stephen Heywood & Michael T. Schmidt) are all MFA graduates of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. All are active in ceramics as well as teaching. Although each member exhibits individually, we have been showing as a group under the name “The Firm” for several years. From the Ceramics Monthly Article: January Issue, 2007 -by Sarah Rossiter. In his first semester at Edinboro University, during one of many conversational marathons on all things great, small and technological with Professor Steve Kemenyffy, Christensen once mentioned that he was an Eagle Scout. Nearly a year later, Kemenyffy arrived in his studio with the 1966 Boy Scout Merit Badge book of Pottery folded in his back pocket. “There’s some crazy stuff in here!” Kemenyffy announced, and left it for Christensen’s edification and amusement. The merit badge book resurfaced after graduate school when Christensen, then teaching at Western Texas College, was invited to lecture to Art majors at SUU. He included in his presentation this Boy Scout advice: “You may enter the field of ceramics without attending college, but college training will give you a better opportunity to advance. If you find that a college education is impossible, you may get employment with a ceramics concern and show an interest in your work so that in time you will become of real value to the firm.” Jensen attended Christensen’s lecture at SUU, and afterwards the two discussed the optimism and opportunity presented in the merit badge book. It resonated with the paths they had chosen in ceramics and the art collective idea they had been considering for several years with Heywood and Schmidt; so the four friends decided to formalize their fellowship in goals, art, profession and media (and a certain entrepreneurial panache). The result: The Firm. Click here to download the entire article- The Firm CM Article.pdfthefirm_files/TheFirm.pdfshapeimage_2_link_0
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Shane Christensen Ceramics Instructor Snow Canyon High School. St. George, UT. email > schristensen@schsmail.net Adjunct Faculty Dixie State College of Utah. St. George, UT. Education: Edinboro University of Penn. Edinboro, PA. 1999 Master of Fine Arts Degree, Ceramics Southern Utah University. Cedar City, UT. 1997 Bachelor of Arts Ceramics/Sculpture Dixie State College. St. George, UT 1993 Associate of Arts Brian Jensen Assistant Professor of Art Utah Valley University. Orem, UT. email > jensenbr@uvu.edu Education: Edinboro University of Penn. Edinboro, PA 2002 Master of Fine Arts, Ceramics Minor, Printmaking Southern Utah University. Cedar City, UT 1995 Bachelor of Science, Ceramics/ Art Educationmailto:schristensen@schsmail.netmailto:jensenbr@uvu.edushapeimage_17_link_0shapeimage_17_link_1
Stephen Heywood Assistant Professor of Ceramics University of North Florida. Jacksonville, FL email > s.heywood@unf.edu Education: Edinboro University of Penn. Edinboro, PA. 2002 Master of Fine Arts Degree, Ceramics Minor, Printmaking Southern Utah University. Cedar City, UT. 1999 Bachelor of Science, Art Composite-Ceramics Secondary Teaching Certification Michael T. Schmidt Associate Professor of Art Valdosta State University. Valdosta, GA. email > mschmidt@valdosta.edu Education: Edinboro University of Penn. Edinboro, PA. 2001 Master of Fine Arts Degree, Ceramics Minor, Sculpture University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Whitewater, WI. 1998 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art/Graphic Design Minor, Art Historymailto:s.heywood@unf.edumailto:mschmidt@valdosta.edushapeimage_18_link_0shapeimage_18_link_1