Georgia Blizzard

1919-2002

Georgia Blizzard was an American ceramic artist from Virginia. Self-taught, she was a folk potter of Apache heritage, who made expressive portrait pots that were sometimes self-portraits and sometimes people she knew.  During the Depression, Blizzard quit school at the age of 16 to work for the National Youth Administration preparing hot lunches for underprivileged school children.  During World War II, she had a job at a munitions factory in Bristol, Virginia.  Blizzard worked in clay, “Been doing it since I was 8”, she said.  “Didn’t know it was art”.  She started making and selling clay objects to earn extra money.  Blizzard made face pots that were self-portraits or portraits of people she had known.  She also modeled bas relief plaques of animals and people, often with themes of good and evil or salvation and damnation.  She prided herself on being able to “bring out the natural color of the clay”, the browns and grays.  She expressed her moods in clay; happiness or sorrow is shown in the clay faces that weep or smile.  ²