12 Facts About Paul Soldner

Paul Edmund Soldner was an American ceramic artist and educator, noted for his experimentation with the 16th-century Japanese technique called raku, introducing new methods of firing and post firing, which became known as American Raku.

Paul Soldner was the founder of the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in 1966.

Paul Edmund Soldner was born on April 24,1921, in Summerfield, Illinois, his father was a Mennonite preacher.

Paul Soldner served as a United States Army Medical Corps during World War II.

Paul Soldner began to pursue a career in art upon returning to the United States after the Army, in 1946 he earned a degree from Bluffton College.

Paul Soldner continued his studies and received a MFA degree in 1954 from the University of Colorado.

Paul Soldner then turned his attention to studying ceramics and initially focused first on functional pottery.

In 1954, Paul Soldner became Peter Voulkos' first student in the nascent ceramics department at the Los Angeles County Art Institute.

Paul Soldner eventually held seven patents related to pottery equipment.

Paul Soldner was involved in starting the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts.

Paul Soldner lived and maintained studios in Aspen, Colorado, and Claremont, California.

Paul Soldner's work is included in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.