MARTY HAYTHORN BIO
Marty has been a full-time professional artist for nearly 20 years. He is an award winning
ethnographic and contemporary ceramic artist and his work is show in numerous galleries,
permanent museum exhibits, and private collections nationally and internationally. He has
dedicated his work to honoring , promoting, and reviving the Southeastern Native American
pottery tradition. With a degree in Arts Administration and a background as a recreation therapist
and arts specialist, he has been active in teaching as well as producing.
Marty’s interests in Native American pottery began when he was a child. His family traveled
throughout the southwest, visiting many reservations and archaeological sites. During these visits
Marty met accomplished artisans, including Maria Martinez, and watched them create beautiful
works of art. After one of these trips, his mother showed him how to dig clay from the banks of a
river and form small bowls. These early experiences gave him a lifelong passion for pottery.
In his late teens, Marty learned that his great-great grandmother was Native American from
South Carolina. During the time of forced relocation, her family chose to assimilate into the
white culture rather than leave the land of their ancestors. With respect and honor for this
heritage, Marty now re-creates many of the most significant artifacts from the Southeast, often
creating complete works from shards and fragments of vessels. He uses many of the traditional
production techniques and tools. This work has taught him that art is a sacred language, capable
of exploring and expressing our deepest values. It has been the foundation for his contemporary
ceramic art.
Marty believes that using art to bridge the gap between the past and present, between different
cultures, between man and nature, and between the conscious and unconscious is an important
mission of the artist.