Special Projects

           Collaboration and investigation represent two important aspects of Three Rivers Clay Works creative process.  Our work, based on textures found within our built environment and our own custom Brereton Avenue series, demands a creative and deliberate approach that explores new material possibilities while pushing us to develop new designs. Our collaborations with culinary artists and industry professionals affords us both the ability to test, encourage and promote qualities not ordinarily found within the realm of functional objects. All great things are a negotiation. In all scenarios, the point of creating ceramics is to push new concepts and encourage contemplation surrounding what we are exposed to and what we are able to make.

Survey: Pittsburgh

Survey: Pittsburgh is a textural journey through the streets and neighborhoods of the city that we call home. Unique among 19th- early 20th century cities, Pittsburgh was at its most architecturally grandiose during a time which saw modern methods of steel-frame construction meet older crafts such as stone-masonry and architectural ceramic design. As the 21st century dawns and building budgets no longer have room for such minute details we risk losing access to some of the most powerful elements of American city-craft over the last 100 years. In a small effort to bring attention to the state of the future of our built environment, Three Rivers Clay Works have collected textures from many of our most cherished buildings to create a line of custom tableware and to create sculptural pieces which draw attention to the details that are rarely noticed yet are a part of our everyday.

Duncan Street Dinners

The interaction between ceramic and culinary design should challenge and surprise-- ideally, and often, to the delight of both potter and chef. Beginning with an inauspicious introduction at a Strip District barbeque, the potters of Three Rivers Clay Works teamed up with two chefs and a bartender who had recently begun hosting exploratory dinners at their home on Duncan St. in Pittsburgh's Lawarenceville neighborhood. As their menus challenged traditional restaurant methodologies, they sought plates that would similarly challenge them to think differently about the food they made. After several meetings discussing both food and aesthetics, we designed this series.

Signature Series

One-of-a-kind offerings from the artists of Three Rivers Clay Works, the combined 30 plus years of making ceramic objects are highlighted in this collection that offers experimental and often complicated construction techniques. These are our most rare pieces-- each unique and not replicable.

Survey: Pittsburgh

          Pittsburgh’s architecture contains a number of not-so-hidden secrets that speak to pittsburgh’s central role in the development of America’s great skyscraper cities.

          Cut stone, cast concrete, and ceramic tile of incredible detail and complexity reveal the deep craft traditions that migrated to Pittsburgh in the minds and hands of those who over a century ago built the modern city we know today.

          It was in this environment that the designers of Three Rivers Clay Works honed and developed their skills. As new construction and mass renovation sweep in changing the face of the city, we conceived this project to call attention to the craft and detail that make our urban landscape so very special. As craftspeople we intimately understand the importance these small details have on the culture and feel of a place. Our work stands as a testament to the inspiration we have received over the years by living in the shadows of such incredible work.

          As the first in a series of projects on this theme, Three Rivers Clay Works introduces a line of functional porcelain vessels based on textures impressed from important, but often unnoticed, elements of the urban built landscape.

.Sometimes Life tells you it's time to work...

Sam went to a Chinese restaurant for brunch before meeting us Garick and Charlie to take textures off of various places in Pittsburgh.

Brick Textures From the Mexican War Streets

There is so much texture surrounding us that we are unaware of, after the start of this project, the three of us have agreed that we look at the world in a very differnt way.

Charlie seeking texture

Fifth Ave. Below Liberty

Telephone Pole Detail

Detail of Door 

Telephone Phone Tumblers

The Tiki

Triptych Plate

Multi-part dishes and family-style service have become a cornerstone of modern cuisine; these plates draw attention to the parts that comprise the whole.

Soup Bowls

Individually hand thrown, the reduced copper red interior and stony matte exterior challenge the cook to think about color, texture, and presentation in ways that the old white plate never quite could.

Platter and Sauce Cup

A Scandinavian take on the traditional Japanese Sushi platter, the cup, tray, and feet were fused together through the glaze melting in the fire.  

Pinch Bowls

The hands and a ball of clay are all that's required to make a bowl. Each of these bowls were individually formed without the use tools: each bowl was pinched roughly 500 times to form the final bowl shape and foot ring.  

Signature Series