Sheila Schaefer

Sheila Schaefer (born 1968, Chicago) was enticed into ceramics by the potential to sculpt and work with texture and surface. At the time, she was completing her Masters thesis on the subject of light, and how it affects architecture. Creating her own little structures with clay fit right into her wheelhouse.

Everyone at Lincoln Square Pottery Studio – Learning Center can spot a Schaefer vessel when it comes out of the kiln. The greenish glazed pieces with blue undertones directly speak of the influences from the Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles. The artist absorbed information about these Movements during her undergraduate and graduate degree studies in architecture at the University of Illinois (graduations in 1990 and 1992). She was lucky enough to travel to Europe around the same time, and came face-to-face with some of the buildings she had been fawning over in her textbooks. There were even moments of spirituality in these structures as light moved through them, and the context and textures it created.

Schaefer’s ceramic work wasn’t always so in tune with her architectural side. She initially joined the Jane Addams Hull House Association when she moved to the Uptown neighborhood in Chicago in the early 1990’s. The independent study program there was full, but she kept calling until they found her a spot. Once on the wheel, Schaefer became highly prolific, creating a lot of work each week during studio hours. Management took notice, and asked her to become a Saturday shift volunteer, which is where she met Meg Biddle (owner and instructor at LSPS-LC). The two formed a friendship (or potteryship) as well as a mutual respect for each other. When Hull House shut down and took more than a year to find a new location, Biddle asked Schaefer to join her brand new studio that she opened on Lincoln Avenue in the city. When she joined the new business, something in her changed. The relaxed environment and realization that she was appreciated made her slow down and take a new approach to her artwork. She began taking more time with each of her pieces, as well as starting to incorporate those natural elements featured in the Deco and Nouveau styles. She came into her own, and truly felt relaxed and happy there. While she throws and trims her pieces at the studio, she delicately transports them to her home for detail work. She’ll get comfy on her living room floor (totally oblivious to what her husband is watching on the screen), and starts to carve, cut and alter the surfaces into elegantly curved designs. She’ll dust-bust away the clay chips, but will always find them in the funniest places. She says that clay is always with her whether she likes it or not.

While Schaefer was cultivating her pottery style, she also began to blossom at her job at HPZS in Chicago (joining their team in 1994). Her new knowledge of computer aided graphing helped secure her role in managing that aspect of the business. Currently, her years of experience culminate in the ability to do a project from design to completion. This includes conception, documentation, demolition, renovations and additions. One of her more memorable projects took place in an authentic Art Deco building in Hyde Park, Chicago. The couple moving into their co-op gave the creative reins over to Schaefer, who took the opportunity to outfit the home in the same era of design. She was able to have shelves, case work and fireplace mantels commissioned to fit in with the spirit of the building. It was hard work, but it came together beautifully. Projects like this give her a glow, much like her pottery in the same vein. Schaefer is now a senior associate in architecture and an interior designer, and has been with the firm for nearly thirty years.

Although Schaefer started out hand building in ceramics, she knows she’s more suited for wheel throwing. The water, the centrifugal force and the way the clay gets squishy in her hands gives her a therapeutic feeling. However, it’s been over a year since she’s put her hands into clay. Her busy life as an architect has kept her from sideling up to the wheel. She still diligently takes on the role of Saturday open studio hours volunteer (17 years running!). Just walking into the space, being around other artists, and the serene and creative atmosphere de-stress her. When asked what she would like to work on once she’s able to get back to creating pottery, Schaefer says she wants to take on a new challenge. She’s always longed to add 3D elements to her vessels, much like work by Teco Pottery (founded in 1889 near McHenry, Illinois), which features graceful nature-inspired handles and elevated lines that heighten each piece. Schaefer says she will need to do some research into attaching the decorative moist clay pieces onto her drying vessels. This will get her closer to attaining the look she admires (Teco designs were in part created by several Chicago architects!). She’s always used the studio’s glazes to get the vibrant green coating, but wouldn’t mind looking into commercial glazes that would give her a more accurate match to Teco as well. All in all, the artist and architect is looking forward to continuing her pottery series, even if life gets in the way a bit first.