The Takaezu Studio

CONTINUING THE STUDIO TRADITION IN qUAKERTOWN, NJ

For more than 30 years Toshiko Takaezu made her home and created her artwork in New Jersey in the rural hamlet of Quakertown. The big vegetable garden, the comfortable house, the basement studio and the big kiln made for a peaceful and productive existence.

Our Mission

Toshiko’s wish was to have the place continue as a studio and a place for her students and apprentices to work. Although we have no possibility of emulating the stimulation, energy, inspiration and discipline which she generated, we have kept the studio going and have added workshops through the Hunterdon Art Museum to continue the educational spirit of the place. During Toshiko’s lifetime that spirit was constantly in evidence, whether through the biennial raku firings for the Princeton ceramics class, the impromptu workshops by neighboring or visiting friends, or her lively encouragement of experimentation of all sorts.

In addition we have added on neighboring properties in order to be able to use the woods behind the house without trespassing on the land of our agreeable neighbors and to have facilities for resident artists and a planned future display/classroom/storage building. The property is now 7 acres with 3 houses and several aged outbuildings in need of care.

An unexpected, and unexpectedly interesting, project has been the cutting down of a hundred or so ash trees which were killed by the emerald ash bore. With he help of friends we have cut the easiest and most accessible trees ourselves. As funds have become available we have hired professionals to take down the trees we felt were beyond our amateur logging skills. As the trees have come down, vistas have opened up and a rough and ready, but irresistably lovely park has emerged. Of course, as anyone who has cut down dozens of trees will understand, even as the vistas have developed, so have brush piles and log piles. So the park-like aspects of the back woods have been interrupted by some logging camp characteristics; much loved, it must be said, by the local birds and rabbits.

Don Fletcher, President of the Quakertown Studio Project, was a student of Toshiko Takaezu’s at Princeton University starting in 1969. He had been urged to take the class by a friend, the artist, Meryl Friedman, and he kept attending and kept on making pottery after graduation. To support the pottery habit he turned to computer programming during the week and spent many years of enjoyable weekends gardening, cooking and working with clay at the studio. In keeping with Toshiko’s wishes, he lives at the house and has taken over operation and management of the studio.

Bill Baumbach, Vice-President, was also a student of Toshiko’s at Princeton, and also served as her apprentice after graduation. After his apprenticeship he took a PhD in biochemistry, also at Princeton and has worked in the pharmaceutical and medical technology world ever since. He has also been a very steadfast and competent part of the studio team ever since.

The Quakertown Studio Project is a 501 (3) C tax exempt corporation and a sister Non-profit to the Toshiko Takaezu Foundation. The QSP concentrates on the operations of the studio and the TTF on supporting exhibitions and publications and long-term planning to preserve the legacy of our mentor, master and friend: the incomparable artist, Toshiko Takaezu.