by Louana M. Lackey - Ceramic Arts Daily

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white, turquoise, and light blue, along with the natural terra cotta tiles. For the design, Rudy chose animals symbolizing three peri- ods in the history of the lands of the Blackfeet: a bison to symbolize prehistory, a horse for exploration, and an ox for the early settlement of the west. Contours of the hol- low, hand-built sections of the relief follow the curves of the animals’ figures. Rudy was to use this technique to emphasize important lines and curves in his compositions again and again in later reliefs and wall murals. Although Rudy spent most of his time on large commissions or clay sculpture, he continued to make a few pots for sale in the shop. Lela continued to paint at home, but she also was at the Bray much of the time teaching classes and making enameled ware. Interesting people came to the pottery all the time—as students, as residents, to give dem- onstrations and workshops and, of course, to buy its ceramics. At the Archie Bray The Montana Historical Society Museum Except for his architectural commissions, Rudy did not earn very much at the brick- yard. Fortunately, just when he needed money Exterior Wall Relief, 1956. Glazed terra cotta, 12 ft. 4 ft. Glacier County Library, Cutbank, Montana. 37
38 for a new car, he found temporary work. The Montana Historical Society, one of the institutions that contributed to the teeming cul- tural activity in Helena, had built a new museum building on the grounds of the State Capitol and had hired K. Ross Toole as its director. Toole was young, energetic, and ambitious. In his first three years at the museum, while finishing his doctoral dissertation in history at U.C.L.A., Toole began to implement his plans for the museum. These included permanent exhibits with dioramas depicting the development of the West. For these Toole needed artists. Peter Meloy, a volunteer director of the museum, was in a position to make recommendations, so he introduced Toole to Rudy. Meeting Toole solved Rudy’s immediate financial crisis, and was to have long-term importance. RUDY AUTIO Toole hired several other artists, including Gardell Christiansen, Robert DeWeese, Shorty Shope, Clarence Zuehlke, and John Weaver. With help from the museum staff, these artists and craftsmen made most of the dioramas in the museum. John Weaver, a sculptor who had studied at the Chicago Art Institute, was the son of “Pop” Weaver, Rudy’s high-school art teacher. Rudy remembers that Weaver had an uncanny ability to cast plaster into all kinds of unbelievable objects—horses, cars, figures—so he also began to make a series of dioramas based on the oil industry, which donated funds for the making of their series of exhibition cases. Gardell Christiansen created a dramatic and very popular exhibit of a bison drive that showed bison being driven over a cliff, hanging in mid-air, and falling, as Native American hunters chased them to their deaths. The fact that none of the suspension wires could be seen added to the effect. Christiansen also made, fired, and painted
Page 1 and 2: y Louana M. Lackey
Page 3 and 4: Published by The American Ceramic S
Page 5 and 6: Contents Foreword by Peter Voulkos
Page 7 and 8: BI Know Rudy eing in Rudy Autio’s
Page 9 and 10: Company in Helena. The firm’s own
Page 11 and 12: Lela Autio, 1952. 24 RUDY AUTIO on
Page 13 and 14: Peter Voulkos, Rudy, and Pete Meloy
Page 15 and 16: Archie Bray, 1952. 28 Change in Lea
Page 17 and 18: 30 RUDY AUTIO Rudy also had begun t
Page 19 and 20: 32 RUDY AUTIO Sermon on the Mount,
Page 21 and 22: 34 RUDY AUTIO Bird and Egg, early 1
Page 23: 36 RUDY AUTIO work had begun to cha
Page 27 and 28: 40 RUDY AUTIO figures. After lookin
Page 29 and 30: 42 Pete and Peggy Voulkos and “tr
Page 31 and 32: 44 RUDY AUTIO Christ Surrounded by

by Louana M. Lackey - Ceramic Arts Daily

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