Jane Shellenbarger
When I first met Jeff Kleckner, in the summer of 1993, he and I were both assigned to be studio assistants for Dan Anderson at Penland School of Craft. We met when we arrived to prepare the studio for the incoming students and professors. A most excellent surprise was meeting Michaelene Walsh who was to be the studio assistant for Ron Kovatch in the downstairs studio. The three of us worked well together sharing responsibilities. I remember a great deal of admiration and laughter.
Jeffery Kleckner, a most accomplished potter, skillful painter and glaze technician, was an incredibly generous artist. He shared his knowledge and kept us entertained while simultaneously imparting a self-deprecating sense of humor as well as a deep appreciation for one another’s aesthetic and ideas.
I had an immediate love of Jeff’s work; his understanding of pattern, of layering glazes, and a wonderful ability to develop a form that engages both geometry and soft elegance.
Jeff decided to enroll at SIUE that fall and we were classmates for the rest of our tenure during Graduate school. I feel fortunate to have worked with such a thoughtful and skillful potter, a gentle spirit, and generous soul. We will miss his dedication to our field, his devotion to the work he continued to master, and his ability to make us laugh.
Jane Shellenbarger
December 27, 2020
When I first met Jeff Kleckner, in the summer of 1993, he and I were both assigned to be studio assistants for Dan Anderson at Penland School of Craft. We met when we arrived to prepare the studio for the incoming students and professors. A most excellent surprise was meeting Michaelene Walsh who was to be the studio assistant for Ron Kovatch in the downstairs studio. The three of us worked well together sharing responsibilities. I remember a great deal of admiration and laughter.
Jeffery Kleckner, a most accomplished potter, skillful painter and glaze technician, was an incredibly generous artist. He shared his knowledge and kept us entertained while simultaneously imparting a self-deprecating sense of humor as well as a deep appreciation for one another’s aesthetic and ideas.
I had an immediate love of Jeff’s work; his understanding of pattern, of layering glazes, and a wonderful ability to develop a form that engages both geometry and soft elegance.
Jeff decided to enroll at SIUE that fall and we were classmates for the rest of our tenure during Graduate school. I feel fortunate to have worked with such a thoughtful and skillful potter, a gentle spirit, and generous soul. We will miss his dedication to our field, his devotion to the work he continued to master, and his ability to make us laugh.
Jane Shellenbarger
December 27, 2020