Lewis Snyder is a renowned ceramic artist and educator whose contributions to the field have spanned over five decades. He earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from Ohio University and furthered his studies in Italy, where he developed a deep appreciation for classical ceramic traditions and European craftsmanship. These formative experiences helped shape his artistic vision and continue to influence his work. From 1963 to 1973, Snyder taught in the Art Department at Middle Tennessee State University, where he mentored a generation of emerging artists.
In 1970, Snyder was invited to participate in the International Ceramic Symposium in Bechyne, Czechoslovakia—an influential event that gathered artists from around the world to share techniques and ideas. Inspired by the experience, Snyder returned to Tennessee with the goal of bringing that same spirit of international collaboration to the United States. While working with the Tennessee Arts Commission, he played a pivotal role in founding the U.S. branch of the International Ceramic Symposiums. These groundbreaking events were hosted across Tennessee in Memphis, Gatlinburg, and Smithville, promoting creative exchange and cultural engagement within the American ceramic community.
In 1972, Snyder founded Studio S Pottery, a gallery and working studio dedicated to the creation and exhibition of fine handmade ceramics. Over the next 45 years, the studio became a regional center for ceramic education, where Snyder personally taught and mentored hundreds of students. Studio S Pottery is among a select group of studios recommended by the U.S. government for the production of architectural and ornamental terra cotta used in historic preservation—highlighting Snyder’s commitment to craftsmanship and technical excellence.
Beyond his own studio, Snyder has been a vital force in Tennessee’s arts development. In the early 1970s, he researched, proposed, and supervised the creation of the Joe L. Evans Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville, which remains a cornerstone of fine craft education in the region. He also played a key role in organizing the first Tennessee State Crafts Fair and co-founded the Stone Rivers Crafts Association in Murfreesboro, fostering support networks for regional artists and craftspeople.
Snyder’s ceramic work is represented in numerous public and private collections, including the Museum of Contemporary Craft and the Museum of Art and Design in New York City, the Mint Museum in North Carolina, the Springfield Art Museum in Missouri, and the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. In Tennessee, his work can be found at Austin Peay State University, East Tennessee State University, MTSU, Vanderbilt University, the Tennessee State Museum, and the Hunter Museum of American Art.
His national recognition includes inclusion in the White House Collection, with commissions ranging from stoneware dinnerware for President Jimmy Carter, to ceremonial pieces for Presidents Nixon, Reagan (for the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville), and George H.W. Bush, and an ornament for President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton. His work is also in the collections of three Tennessee Senators, six Tennessee Governors and one US Vice President from Tennessee. Through his artistic practice, teaching, and community leadership, Snyder has made a profound and lasting impact on American ceramics.
