Jonathan Kaplan, Curator - Plinth Gallery
Jeff Kleckner’s story and narrative are intertwined with that of my own, a congruency of time, place, and education, only separated by many years. We both did undergraduate studies at The Cleveland Institute of Art under the skillful teaching of Joe Zeller. Jeff earned his BFA there, and I transferred to Rhode Island School of Design to earn my BFA.
In 1977, after completing graduate school and residency at Millersville State College (now Millersville University), I started my first studio located between Lancaster County and Berks County Pennsylvania in the small town of Bowmansville, just south of Reading. The handmade craft scene was beginning to explode; there were a plethora of retail and wholesale craft events every month. Through participation in these events, I met many of the potters working in the area. One of them was Jeff Kleckner. We became friends, and would connect on a fairly frequent basis at these shows.
Jeff’s early pots had character, even at the beginning of his career. The forms were always different, with skilled decoration exploring color, texture and other surfaces embellishments. It was always a treat to see what Jeff would bring to exhibit and sell.
After many years of operating a ceramic design and manufacturing facility in Steamboat Springs Colorado, I established a new studio practice and Plinth Gallery in Denver. In the many years between my first studio in Pennsylvania and then in Denver, Jeff earned his MFA at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville working with Dan Anderson as I had many years earlier.
Jeff’s voice became stronger and his voice began to emerge under Dan’s dedicated tutelage. After he graduated, he returned to Pennsylvania where he continued to produce enlightened and beautiful work. His pottery matured and grew into a very substantial body of work, always experimenting, always challenging himself, always keeping his eyes on the prize: making good pots. His glazing, a combination of knowing the right glazes to use for his forms and deft brush decoration became his unique signature.
I don’t know how Jeff regarded his own work, how he felt about what he was making, and how he looked at his successes. He was a quiet an introspective person, slightly self-deprecating, never talking about his work, just letting the pots speak for themselves. His infectious and wry sense of humor was always engaging. At times he was difficult to communicate with and seldom returned phone calls or emails. Yet he always followed through with a shipment of spectacular work. I always felt that his work was underpriced and I remember taking with him at length about this. Jeff continued to make enlightened work and participate in exhibitions, until his untimely and unexpected death.
Jeff’s passing leaves a void in our ceramics community. His work was as quiet as he was; he did not aspire to be a ceramic rock star, but was respected and admired by many of his peers. His work was unassuming, competent, and strong, showing a mastery of form and decoration. Those of us that were privileged to know him, to experience the exuberance of his skill and intimacy of his pots, he will be missed. I am saddened by his untimely passing, but grateful to have known him.
Jonathan Kaplan
January 15, 2021
Jeff Kleckner’s story and narrative are intertwined with that of my own, a congruency of time, place, and education, only separated by many years. We both did undergraduate studies at The Cleveland Institute of Art under the skillful teaching of Joe Zeller. Jeff earned his BFA there, and I transferred to Rhode Island School of Design to earn my BFA.
In 1977, after completing graduate school and residency at Millersville State College (now Millersville University), I started my first studio located between Lancaster County and Berks County Pennsylvania in the small town of Bowmansville, just south of Reading. The handmade craft scene was beginning to explode; there were a plethora of retail and wholesale craft events every month. Through participation in these events, I met many of the potters working in the area. One of them was Jeff Kleckner. We became friends, and would connect on a fairly frequent basis at these shows.
Jeff’s early pots had character, even at the beginning of his career. The forms were always different, with skilled decoration exploring color, texture and other surfaces embellishments. It was always a treat to see what Jeff would bring to exhibit and sell.
After many years of operating a ceramic design and manufacturing facility in Steamboat Springs Colorado, I established a new studio practice and Plinth Gallery in Denver. In the many years between my first studio in Pennsylvania and then in Denver, Jeff earned his MFA at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville working with Dan Anderson as I had many years earlier.
Jeff’s voice became stronger and his voice began to emerge under Dan’s dedicated tutelage. After he graduated, he returned to Pennsylvania where he continued to produce enlightened and beautiful work. His pottery matured and grew into a very substantial body of work, always experimenting, always challenging himself, always keeping his eyes on the prize: making good pots. His glazing, a combination of knowing the right glazes to use for his forms and deft brush decoration became his unique signature.
I don’t know how Jeff regarded his own work, how he felt about what he was making, and how he looked at his successes. He was a quiet an introspective person, slightly self-deprecating, never talking about his work, just letting the pots speak for themselves. His infectious and wry sense of humor was always engaging. At times he was difficult to communicate with and seldom returned phone calls or emails. Yet he always followed through with a shipment of spectacular work. I always felt that his work was underpriced and I remember taking with him at length about this. Jeff continued to make enlightened work and participate in exhibitions, until his untimely and unexpected death.
Jeff’s passing leaves a void in our ceramics community. His work was as quiet as he was; he did not aspire to be a ceramic rock star, but was respected and admired by many of his peers. His work was unassuming, competent, and strong, showing a mastery of form and decoration. Those of us that were privileged to know him, to experience the exuberance of his skill and intimacy of his pots, he will be missed. I am saddened by his untimely passing, but grateful to have known him.
Jonathan Kaplan
January 15, 2021