Alumnus Michael George is living the potter’s life

When he learned how to use the potter’s wheel under the guidance of Faculty Chair of Fine and Performing Arts Steve Glazer, HFC alumnus Michael George was “hooked.”

“I took ceramics with Steve during his first semester teaching at HFC (then called Henry Ford Community College) in the fall of 2004. When he gave me a chance at the potter’s wheel, it was “game over.” I was hooked. I haven’t looked back since,” recalled George. “It’s tough to learn, but once I got the hang of it, it was one of the most relaxing and most fulfilling things I’ve ever done. I learned a lot of skills as an art major, but that’s my favorite one by far.”

One of three HFC alumni showcasing their artwork at Wyandotte Street Art Fair

Along with Erin Hoekzema and Paige Deon, two fellow HFC alumni who are also artists, George’s artistry was recently showcased at the Wyandotte Street Art Fair.

“Three of the nine potters at the Wyandotte Art Fair were from HFC,” said Glazer. “That’s really cool. It was a very proud moment for me because they had all been my students.”

Added George: “It’s always great to have friends and colleagues at shows. Erin and Paige are excellent artists and great people. Erin and I started together. Getting to see her progress over the years and sharing ideas back and forth has been fun and helpful. In HFC’s ceramics studio, so many of us were sharing ideas, techniques, and information – it’s a wonderful community there.”

His mother inspired him to become an artist

George was inspired to become an artist at a young age, thanks to his mother. He now runs a pottery business called Rams Head Craftworks out of his home with his wife Tori, who is also a potter.

“When I was a small child, my mom, who was a schoolteacher, would bring home reams of old printer paper,” he said. “She gave my siblings and me a big stack and we would draw on these long scrolls of paper for hours. That was the start of it all. In high school, I had a great art teacher named Patricia Johnson, who was passionate about creating things. I took every art class my high school offered.”

George’s primary medium is ceramics. He is also skilled in blacksmithing, leather-working, and drawing.

“Drawing is foundational for all the art mediums,” he said. “You need basic drawing skills, which are essential for planning and getting your pieces to turn out the way you want them to look.”

HFC allowed George to discover his visual vocabulary

The middle of three children, George was born in Dearborn, where he lives with his wife and their child. After graduating from St. Francis Cabrini High School in Allen Park, he enrolled at HFC. He earned his associate degree in art foundations. He transferred to Eastern Michigan University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in art education and his teaching certificate. George took continuing education classes at HFC in art and plans to pursue graduate work in the next year or two.

“HFC is one of the better schools in the area for the price. I grew up in Dearborn, so it was a logical choice,” said George. “HFC has great professors. I got an excellent education there. The amount of time I got in to practice my craft in the studio and the class sizes made learning much easier at HFC. The attention I got at the College was far more personalized than a larger university. HFC focused on developing skills in studio art classes rather than voice. Yes, voice is important, but building up the necessary skills first is important before you find your voice so you can have that visual vocabulary.”

HFC made it possible for George to succeed academically and artistically.

“If anything, my classes were easier at EMU than at HFC, which speaks volumes about the quality of the education there. It really prepared me for EMU,” he said. “HFC felt more rigorous. I could take studio art classes at HFC that were three hours long. HFC helped keep me more focused on what I ended up doing with my life, as opposed to the classes in the rest of my undergraduate program that were more varied and less focused on my content area of visual arts.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am in my craft”

He is grateful to Glazer, along with retired art instructor Kevin Donahue, for their guidance and mentorship.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am in my craft if it weren't for Steve,” said George. “Kevin helped me see things with more critical eye. (HFC fine arts instructor) Victoria Shepherd and I were in a painting class together. She and I were contemporaries.”

After he finished his bachelor’s degree, George taught at Cabrini, his alma mater, for more than 8 years. He taught alongside Johnson, his former high school art teacher who had become his colleague, and succeeded her after she retired in 2016.

“My mom was a teacher. I hung out a lot with teachers. By the end of high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the arts, but everyone’s heard the story of the starving artist. I wanted to have a job where I would still be involved in the arts and have a steady paycheck too. Being a teacher seemed like a good route to make that happen,” explained George.

“There's nothing else like it”

For the 2022-23 academic year, George taught at Redford Union High School. He retired from Redford Union at the end of this past academic year to pursue his artistry full-time.

“Every time I was at school, I wanted to be at the wheel. I’d have students working on something, but part of my mind would be on the things I wanted to make. I was starting to make more money as a potter than I did as a schoolteacher,” explained George.

Since 2021, George has owned a booth at the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly, where he has successfully sold his artwork. His wares include mugs, plates, and other functional items sporting medieval, Celtic, Viking, or fantasy images.

“During festival season, I’m selling my art and living the potter’s life. I come home wanting to make more stuff,” said George.

After talking it over with his wife, George decided to take a chance and work full-time as an artist.

“It would be me controlling my own career, my own destiny, working for myself, setting my own hours. For the business to grow, I couldn’t spend nine hours at school and not get anything made. Going full-time was the only way to continue growing as a potter,” he explained. “As an artist, I just enjoy making things. There’s this feeling you get when you have a completed a piece of art that isn’t like anything else. There’s this sense of accomplishment – ‘I did this! I made this!’ There’s nothing else like it.”