Dick Lehman

Dick Lehman is a ceramic artist and lifelong innovator whose influence on the American clay community spans nearly five decades. Based in Goshen, Indiana, Dick has dedicated his career not only to making exceptional pottery, but also to exploring the endless possibilities of clay through experimentation, teaching, and collaboration.

For more than thirty years, Dick operated a production pottery and ceramics gallery in Goshen, employing and mentoring fellow potters while building a nationally respected studio practice. Since 2010, he has continued his work from his home studio, where curiosity and discovery remain at the center of his creative process. His work has explored a remarkable range of firing methods including reduction, raku, saggar, side-firing, wood-firing, and soda-firing. In recent years he has developed what he calls “Oni-Glazing,” a highly layered surface process that combines multiple glazes, slips, and stains within a single firing. As Dick often suggests, experimentation and discovery have long been his central voice.

Throughout his career, Dick has shared that spirit of exploration with others. He has authored more than fifty articles for international ceramics publications, served as an editorial advisor for Ceramics Monthly, and taught workshops at universities, conferences, and ceramic centers throughout the United States and abroad. His work has been documented in numerous books and publications, helping generations of artists deepen their understanding of clay and firing processes.

Dick’s legacy extends far beyond the work he has made. In 2011, he became one of the founders of the Michiana Pottery Tour, an annual event that has grown into one of the most respected pottery tours in the Midwest connecting artists, collectors, and communities through a shared appreciation of handmade work. Throughout his career he has employed, mentored, and supported more than fifty clay artists, many of whom have gone on to establish successful careers of their own.

In recognition of those contributions, Dick was named the first ceramic artist to receive Indiana’s Heritage Fellowship Award in 2023, honoring not only his artistic achievements, but also his lifelong commitment to preserving, sharing, and advancing the traditions of the ceramic arts.

At the heart of Dick’s work is a belief that pottery is both personal and communal. Through his artwork, mentorship, writing, and leadership, he has helped shape not only the objects that emerge from the kiln, but also the community of artists who continue to carry the tradition forward.