18 Facts About Frances Senska

Frances Senska was known as the "grandmother of ceramics in Montana".

Frances Senska was the only child of Frank Radcliff Senska and Georgia B Senska, Presbyterian missionaries.

Frances Senska's father was a physician who founded Sakbayeme Hospital in the town of Sakbayeme in the highlands region of Bassa in Kamerun, her mother was a teacher who worked at the local missionary school.

Frances Senska was schooled at home; it took three days to walk to the nearest public school, and her parents felt this was too far away in case she fell ill with a tropical disease.

Frances Senska came to America for the first time in 1929.

Frances Senska graduated from University High School in Iowa City, Iowa.

Frances Senska earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1935 and 1939, respectively.

Frances Senska taught art at Grinnell College from 1939 to 1942.

Moholy-Nagy had a strong influence on Frances Senska, influencing not only her ceramic design but her teaching style as well.

Frances Senska served in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1946 during World War II, where she was trained as a pilot.

Frances Senska became interested in ceramics after taking a class from Edith Heath, then teaching at the California Labor School.

Frances Senska began teaching at Montana State University in Bozeman in 1946.

Frances Senska decided to build a ceramics program from the ground up.

Frances Senska later said that she learned her hand technique from Wildenhain.

Frances Senska's students included a number of influential ceramicists, including Rudy Autio and Peter Voulkos.

Frances Senska died on Christmas Day 2009 at her home in Bozeman, Montana.

Frances Senska was one of the founding members of the Montana Institute of the Arts in 1948, served as the organization's Crafts Chair from 1954 to 1956, and was its director from 1961 to 1962.

Frances Senska helped found the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana, in the early 1950s.