Gregory's ceramic sculptures toured Scandinavia and with 1937 Paris Expo awards, made him known abroad while in US additional awards & exh; Metropolitan, Whitney, Binns Medal 1939, etc.

Gregory was born in Baxter Springs, Kansas 1905, he knew what he wanted to be since age 3. His mud pies of little animal friends disintegrated in the rain but in the nearby Indian Village, he noted their mud pies lasted and he wondered. At age 14, he won first prize at the Kansas State Fair and by age 18 he directed a group of thirty craftsmen in executing the elaborate interior details of the Roosevelt Hotel, St.Joseph, Mo. Theater (now historical) and other major buildings in the area. He was invited by Lorado Taft to live at his Chicago, Midway Studio as assistant. Taft served as both father figure and benefactor. Gregory traveled abroad with Taft to study European art and he served his apprenticeship in architectural sculpture and decoration with the Midland Architectural Terra Cotta Company in Chicago. In 1927 through competition he won and received the commission and executed fourteen sculptures for the Chicago Theological Seminary, at the same time was designing small decorative works for Cowan Pottery Studio in Cleveland. In 1929, Gregory was employed as full time Designer with Cowan Pottery and his ceramic sculptures and training won him recognition in leading galleries and museums. See book: Cowan Pottery and the Cleveland School by Mark Bassett & Victoria Naumann; which describes many of his early designs. One of the noted sculpture was: to the left: NAUTCH DANCER now owned by Cowan Museum in Ohio.

In the early 1930's, Gregory became Resident Artist at Cranbrook Academy. He was very prolific and able to sculpt larger size works and after 18-months he moved to NYC. Before leaving, he received First Prize at First National Sculpture Exhibition in the US. He settled, temporarily, in Metuchin, N.J. until he finally settled in Warren, N.J. where he was able to build a kiln large enough to fire one-ton terra cotta sculptures and high fired so they can withstand sub-zero temp. He also designed individually art deco wares which were sold in mainline department stores throughout the US and abroad. He was very prolific. During this period he received many exhibitions and awards; notable: the Binns Medal in 1939 for High Achievement; Syracuse Museum (now Everson) First Prize, Bronze at 1937 Paris Exposition, Metropolitan, Whitney, 1936 Architectural Award, etc. His last award, 1970 Silver Medal; for hand hammered lead repousse from the National Sculpture Society. It was this award that made him realize his contemporaries had accepted his metal sculptures and he was ecstatic. To view additional works Home Page. His life was controversial and in his senior years it was filled with remorse and frustration. He had been approached by Mr. & Mrs. Farmers to build an art center in Middlefield, Mass., this ended in tragedy when Mr. Farmer murdered his wife. Gregory received much adverse publicity and spent years entangled in law suits. This had taken its toll on Gregory as the sales of his artworks declined.

After his untimely death, his widow depended upon social aid, kindly neighbors and friends. She outlived him by nine years and left the bulk of the estate for charities.

Presently his artworks are experiencing a resurgence with many collecting his sculptures and the art deco wares. Museums have requested loan of his works for inclusion in their exhibitions which includes; Metropolitan, NYC; American Craft Museum, NYC; Everson Museum, NY; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canada; NJ State Museum; Alabama Museum of Fine Arts, & others.

Shown below is Gregory working on the Washington, DC, 81-foot frieze:

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

For Additional References: Books & Magazines as listed below: are after his death - before death too numeroous to list; especially news articles.

The Outdoor Sculptures of Washington, DC - A Comprehensive Historical Guide by James M. Goode - 1974

A Century of Ceramics in the US; 1878-1978 by: Garth Clark & Margie Hughto

Design in America - The Cranbrook Vision 1925-1950 by: Section on Ceramics: Martin Eidelberg; Exhibition by Detroit Institute of Art & Metropolitan, NYC; Works traveled abroad & included Gregory "Girl with Olive" and Europa & the Bull.

The Diversions of Keramos; American Clay Sculpture 1925-1950 by: Catalogue accompanying exhibition to: Everson Museum of Art; NJ State Museum of Fine Arts; Exhibition & Symposium, Cleveland School of Art; Birmingham Museum of Fine Arts. By: Ross Anderson & Barbara Perry.

Exhibition Catalogue: U.S.A. - New Deal Art: New Jersey ; Project Director: Hildreth York Robeson Center Gallery; Rutgers in Newark & City Without Walls Gallery, Newark and NJ State Museum, Trenton

Official ID & Price Guide to: Art Deco lst edition by: Tony Fusco - 1988

American Art Deco - by Alastair Duncan - 1987 - & catalogue - Exhibition & Symposium at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC

Craft in the Machine Age - The History of 20th Century American Craft - 1920-1945, Editor is Janet Kardon, on Gregory Ceramics: Barbara Perry On Gregory Glass Works: by April Kingsley Exhibition at American Craft Museum, NYC

Latest Book: Cowan Pottery & the Cleveland School by: Mark Bassett & Victoria Naumann.

Exhibitions: Also local Watchung Art Center in N.J.; Warren Library. American Ceramics Magazine; article: The History of American Ceramics by Elaine Levin 1988. Ceramics Monthly Magazine: Waylande Gregory by Thomas Folk. Many newspaper articles.

Collectors

Smithsonian; Henry Fonda; General Motors Corporation; Chicago Theological Seminary; Cowan Pottery Museum, Everson Museum of Art, NJ State Museum of Fine Arts, Cleveland Museum of Art, Boston Museum, Miami Museum, & Metropolitan NYC & others.

2-bronze, 1937 Paris Exposition; 1939 Binns Medal for High Achievement in Ceramics; Silver Medal; National Sculpture Society (metal sculpture) and others

Comments: E-mail: gregoryw@bellatlantic.net
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