Bill Sanders
I was born in Shanghai, China in 1948 and lived in the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and Singapore. I started my ceramics journey in a high school in Northern Philippines in 1963. From that point on I was hooked on clay however the journey back to clay would take a while.
Two years of high school in Colorado Springs were followed by a BSBA from University of Denver, a short stint with Uncle Sam in Germany (rather than Vietnam) and a MBA from Boston University. A couple of years in the big corporate world were enough so I moved to Honolulu in 1977 to start a hardwood lumber company.
In Honolulu ceramics once again became a reality. Hawaii with its Asian influence has a history of clay being one of the premier art forms. The opportunity to study with the Chinese ceramic artist May Chee while attending The Honolulu Academy of Arts brought everything to a full circle. I also had the privilege of studying under Yukio Ozaki at the Hawaii Potters Guild, which allowed me to further hone my craft.
Moving back to Colorado in the late 90’s brought me to a quiet place in the aspens above Steamboat Springs.
The Steamboat community is very creative, offering many opportunities for artists. I am a founding member of the Steamboat Clay Artisans and The Artists’ Gallery of Steamboat.
Invited Artist
- Strings in the Mountains, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
- Carbondale Clay Center 7th, 8th, 9th & 11th Annual Benefit Cup Auction, Carbondale, Colorado
- Anderson Ranch arts center Annual Auction 2008, 2010 & 2011, Snowmass, Colorado
- Steamboat Art Museum, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
- delecTABLE: The Fine Art of Dining: Art Students League of Denver, Denver, Colorado
Awards
- Achievement Award, From the Ground Up XXII Exhibition of the Potters Guild of Las Cruces, New Mexico in 2004
- Plinth Gallery and Anderson Ranch: A Ceramics Collaboration. Second place, Denver, Colorado
Galleries
- Nohea Gallery, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Cogswell Gallery, Vail, Colorado
- The Wildhorse Gallery, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
- Mad Creek Gallery, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
- The Artists’ Gallery of Steamboat, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
- Red Contemporary Gallery, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
- Plinth Gallery in Denver, Colorado