Grotell, Maija (1899–1973)

Finnish potter. Born Aug 19, 1899, in Helsingfors, Finland; studied with Alfred William Finch at Central School of Industrial Art; also studied State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in NY, working with school's founder Charles F. Binns.

Innovative, award-winning potter, moved to US to study, then found work at Inwood Studios in Manhattan; went on to teach at Union Settlement and Henry Street Settlement while exhibiting ceramics; was the 1st art instructor at School of Ceramic Engineering at Rutgers University (1936–38); with architect Eliel Saarinen, sculptor Carl Milles, weaver Marianne Strengell and designer Charles Eames, served on faculty of Cranbrook Academy of Art outside Detroit (1938–66), eventually becoming head of ceramics department; conducted extensive glaze research which was put to use in architectural designs of Eliel and Eero Saarinen; employed layers of bold pattern and vivid color in work and mastered the use of colored and textured glazes; work can be seen in permanent collections of 21 museums, including American Craft Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Detroit Institute of Arts, Art Institute of Chicago, Cleveland Museum of Art and Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, as well as in many private collections. Won 25 major exhibition awards over 30-year career, including diploma from Barcelona International Exposition (1929), silver medal at Paris International (1937) and Charles Fergus Binns Medal from Alfred University (1961).

See also Jeff Schlanger and Toshiko Takaezu, Maija Grotell: Works Which Grow from Belief (Studio Potter, 1996).