# Alice Cling > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alice_Cling > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alice_Cling.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Cling > Source revision: 1348068769 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American ceramist and potter}} {{Infobox person | name = Alice Williams Cling | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Alice Williams | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|03|21}} | birth_place = [Cow Springs](/source/Cow_Springs%2C_Arizona), [Arizona](/source/Arizona) [U.S.](/source/United_States) | other_names = Alice Williams Cling | occupation = [Navajo](/source/Navajo) [potter](/source/pottery)
[Ceramicist](/source/Ceramic_art) | education = [Intermountain Indian School](/source/Intermountain_Indian_School) | years_active = 1976-present }} '''Alice Williams Cling''' ([Navajo](/source/Navajo_people), born March 21, 1946){{cite book|last1=Booker|first1=Margaret Moore|editor1-last=Marter|editor1-first=Joan M.|title=The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art|date=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-199-73926-4|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sPGdBxzaWj0C&pg=PA492|chapter=Cling, Alice|oclc=701369915}} is a [Native American](/source/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States) [ceramist](/source/ceramics) and [potter](/source/pottery) known for creating beautiful and innovative pottery that has a distinctive rich reds, purples, browns and blacks that have a polished and shiny exteriors, revolutionizing the functional to works of art.{{cite book|editor1-last=Congdon|editor1-first=Kristin G.|editor2-last=Hallmark|editor2-first=Kara Kelley|title=American Folk Art: A Regional Reference|date=2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, CA|isbn=978-0-313-34936-2|pages=487–488|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MYUuFDEHmlsC&pg=PA487 |chapter=Alice Williams Cling|oclc=721891434}} Critics have argued that she is the most important Navajo potter of the last 25 years.{{cite book|last1=Iverson|first1=Peter|last2=Roessel|first2=Monty|title=Diné: A History of the Navajos|date=2003|publisher=University of New Mexico Press|location=Albuquerque, NM|isbn=978-0-826-32715-4|pages=313–314|oclc=491094601}}{{cite book|last1=Bataille|first1=Gretchen M.|last2=Lisa|first2=Laurie|title=Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary|date=2005|publisher=Taylor & Francis|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-1-135-95587-8|page=336|oclc=909403141}} == Early life == Cling was born in [Cow Springs](/source/Cow_Springs%2C_Arizona), [Arizona](/source/Arizona), in the [Tonalea](/source/Tonalea) area of the [Navajo Nation](/source/Navajo_Nation). In 1966, Cling graduated from the [Intermountain Indian School](/source/Intermountain_Indian_School) in [Brigham City](/source/Brigham_City%2C_Utah), [Utah](/source/Utah).{{cite web|title=Alice Williams Cling (1946 - )|url=https://www.adobegallery.com/artist/Alice_Cling79071519|website=Adobe Gallery, Santa Fe}} == Career == Cling learned the craft of pottery from her mother, [Rose Williams](/source/Rose_Williams_(artist)), and her great-aunt, [Grace Barlow](/source/Grace_Barlow). The pots are created from clay found near the [Black Mesa](/source/Black_Mesa_(Apache-Navajo_Counties%2C_Arizona)) area in Apache-Navajo Counties in Arizona, and are then fired outdoors using juniper wood, with the firing process enhancing the clay's natural pigments.{{cite web|last1=Peterson|first1=Susan|editor-last1=Ressler|editor-first1=Susan R.|title=Alice Cling|url=https://www.cla.purdue.edu/WAAW/Peterson/Cling.html|website=Women Artists of the American West|publisher=[Purdue University](/source/Purdue_University)|date=1997}} Cling and her mother and aunt were responsible for revitalizing traditional Navajo pottery.{{cite book|last1=Hartman|first1=Russell P.|last2=Tanner|first2=Clara Lee (introduction by)|last3=Trimble|first3=Stephen (photographs by)|editor1-last=Musial|editor1-first=Jan|title=Navajo Pottery: Traditions & Innovations|date=1987|publisher=Northland Press|location=Flagstaff, AZ|isbn=978-0-873-58430-2|chapter=Chapter 6. Revitalization of Navajo Pottery and Chapter 7. Contemporary Pitch-Coated Navajo Pottery|oclc=16518200}} Cling is a coil potter, and was the first Navajo potter to use a smooth river stone to polish her pots instead of the traditional [corncob](/source/corncob).{{cite book|last1=Rosenak|first1=Chuck|last2=Rosenak|first2=Jan|title=The People Speak: Navajo Folk Art|date=1994|publisher=Northland Pub.|location=Flagstaff, AZ|isbn=978-0-873-58565-1|pages=117–118|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DN49Z491G-kC&q=cling|chapter=Alice Cling|oclc=29219259}}{{cite news|last1=Mountain|first1=Michele|title=Navajo traditions expressed at MNA arts, culture festival|url=https://www.nhonews.com/news/2009/jul/21/navajo-traditions-expressed-at-mna-arts-culture-f/|work=[Navajo-Hopi Observer](/source/Navajo-Hopi_Observer)|date=21 July 2009|language=en}} Her pottery is considered non-utilitarian, which represented a huge shift from function to art.{{cite book|last1=Swisher|first1=Karen Gayton|last2=Benally|first2=AnCita|title=Native North American Firsts|date=1998|publisher=Gale|location=Detroit, MI|isbn=978-0-787-60518-6|pages=xliii, 13|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EVprAAAAMAAJ&q=cling|oclc=36994787}} In 1978, Cling's work was selected by [Joan Mondale](/source/Joan_Mondale) and featured in the [vice-presidential mansion](/source/Number_One_Observatory_Circle) in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.) and she was honored with the Arizona Indian Living Treasures Award in 2006. Cling's work is in the collection of the [Smithsonian](/source/Smithsonian).{{cite web|title=Alice Cling|url=http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artist/?id=7459|website=[Smithsonian American Art Museum](/source/Smithsonian_American_Art_Museum)}} == Personal life == Cling learned her pottery skills from her mother, master potter [Rose Williams](/source/Rose_Williams_(artist)).{{cite book|last1=Rosenak|first1=Chuck|last2=Rosenak|first2=Jan|title=Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century American Folk Art and Artists|date=1990|publisher=Abbeville Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-1-558-59041-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/museumofamerican00rose/page/76 76–77, 359]|chapter=Alice Cling|oclc=22183658|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/museumofamerican00rose/page/76}} She lived across the highway from her mother in [Shonto](/source/Shonto%2C_Arizona), [Arizona](/source/Arizona). Following in the family tradition, Cling's daughters are also artists, as are her sisters, Sue Ann Williams, and Susie Williams Crank. Cling married Jervis "Jerry" Cling shortly after graduating from high school. They had four children. She works and lives in the [Shonto](/source/Shonto%2C_Arizona)-Cow Springs area in Arizona. == Collections == * [Amerind Foundation](/source/Amerind_Foundation), Dragoon, AZ * [Arizona State Museum](/source/Arizona_State_Museum), Tempe, AZ * [Heard Museum](/source/Heard_Museum), Phoenix, AZ * [Millicent Rogers Museum](/source/Millicent_Rogers_Museum), Taos, NM * [Phoenix Art Museum](/source/Phoenix_Art_Museum), Phoenix, AZ * [Spencer Museum of Art](/source/Spencer_Museum_of_Art), Lawrence, KS{{Cite web|url=http://collection.spencerart.ku.edu/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalInterface&siteId=1&module=artist&objectId=25834&viewType=detailView&lang=en&actionListenerClassName=ch.zetcom.mp.presentation.tapestry.util.customCode.ActivateDetailTabPos2ActionListener|title=Spencer Museum of Art {{!}} Collection - Cling, Alice Alice Cling|website=collection.spencerart.ku.edu|access-date=2017-03-15}} == Awards == * 2006: Arizona Indian Living Treasures Award{{cite web|title=Alice Cling|url=http://www.ailta.org/living-treasures/alice-cling|website=Arizona Indian Living Treasures Awards|date=2006}} == Selected works == * {{SAAM|36237|Wedding Vase with Braided Handles}}, 1987 * {{SAAM|36238|Pot with Incised Geometric Decoration}}, 1988 ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} == Further reading == * {{Cite book| isbn = 978-1-135-95587-8| last1 = Bataille| first1 = Gretchen M| last2 = Lisa| first2 = Laurie| title = Native American women: a biographical dictionary| date = 2005| publisher = Routledge}} * {{Cite book| publisher = Abbeville| isbn = 978-1-55859-041-0| last1 = Rosenak| first1 = Chuck| last2 = Rosenak| first2 = Jan| title = Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century American Folk Art and Artists| location = New York| date = 1998| url = https://archive.org/details/museumofamerican00rose}} * {{Cite book| publisher = Gale| isbn = 978-0-7876-0518-6| last1 = Swisher| first1 = Karen Gayton| last2 = Benally| first2 = AnCita| title = Native North American firsts| location = Detroit, Mich.; London| date = 1998| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/nativenorthameri0000swis}} * {{Cite book| publisher = McFarland & Co.| isbn = 978-0-7864-7519-3| last1 = Laffal| first1 = Florence| last2 = Laffal| first2 = Julius| title = American self-taught art: an illustrated analysis of 20th century artists and trends with 1,319 capsule biographies| location = Jefferson, N.C.| date=2013}} * {{Cite book| publisher = Mcfarland| isbn = 978-0-7864-6438-8| last = Ressler| first = Susan R| title = Women artists of the american west.| location = Jefferson| date = 2011}} * {{Cite book| publisher = Northland Pub.| isbn = 978-0-87358-612-2| last1 = Makov| first1 = Susan| last2 = Eddington| first2 = Patrick| title = Trading post guidebook: where to find the trading posts, galleries, auctions, artists, and museums of the Four Corners region| location = Flagstaff, AZ| date = 1997}} * {{Cite book| publisher = Northland Pub.| last1 = Rosenak| first1 = Chuck| last2 = Rosenak| first2 = Jan| last3 = Rosenak| first3 = Chuck| title = Navajo folk art: the people speak| location = Flagstaff, Ariz.| accessdate = 2017-03-15| date = 1998| isbn = 9780873586931| url = http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/37917277.html}} * {{Cite book| publisher = Northland Publ| isbn = 978-0-87358-430-2| last = Hartman| first = Russell P| title = Navajo pottery. Traditions and innovations| location = Flagstaff| date = 1989}} * {{Cite book| publisher = University of New Mexico Press| isbn = 978-0-8263-2715-4| last1 = Iverson| first1 = Peter| last2 = Roessel| first2 = Monty| title = Diné a history of the Navajos| location = Albuquerque [N.M.| date = 2003}} * {{cite book|last1=Hartman|first1=Russell P.|last2=Tanner|first2=Clara Lee (introduction by)|last3=Trimble|first3=Stephen (photographs by)|editor1-last=Musial|editor1-first=Jan|title=Navajo Pottery: Traditions & Innovations|date=1987|publisher=Northland Press|location=Flagstaff, AZ|isbn=978-0-873-58430-2|chapter=Chapter 6. Revitalization of Navajo Pottery and Chapter 7. Contemporary Pitch-Coated Navajo Pottery|oclc=16518200}} * {{cite book|last1=Laffal|first1=Florence|last2=Laffal|first2=Julius|title=American Self-Taught Art: An Illustrated Analysis of 20th Century Artists and Trends with 1,319 Capsule Biographies|date=2003|publisher=McFarland & Co|location=Jefferson, NC|isbn=978-0-786-41669-1|oclc=52602764}} * {{cite book|last1=Peterson|first1=Susan|title=Pottery by American Indian Women: The Legacy of Generations|date=1997|publisher=Abbeville Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-789-20353-3|pages=166–167|oclc=36648903|type=Exhibition catalog}} – Published in conjunction with an exhibition held at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C., Oct. 9, 1997-Jan. 11, 1998 and at the Heard Museum, Phoenix, Feb. 18-Apr. 18, 1998 * {{cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=H. Diane|last2=Bell|first2=Jan|title=Potters and their work|journal=Plateau|date=1987|volume=58|issue=2|pages=24–31|publisher=[Museum of Northern Arizona](/source/Museum_of_Northern_Arizona)|location=Flagstaff, AZ|oclc=15686775}} * {{cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=H. Diane|title=Navajo Pottery: Contemporary Trends in a Traditional Craft|journal=American Indian Art|date=1987|volume=12|issue=2|pages=26–35}} * {{cite journal|title=Alice Cling|journal=The Clarion|date=1988|volume=13|pages=36–37|publisher=[Museum of American Folk Art](/source/Museum_of_American_Folk_Art)|location=New York, NY|issn=0197-6850|oclc=4279936}} == External links == * [https://www.cla.purdue.edu/waaw/Peterson/Cling.html Alice Cling] at Women Artists of the American West, [Purdue University](/source/Purdue_University) * [http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artist/?id=7459 Alice Cling] at [Smithsonian American Art Museum](/source/Smithsonian_American_Art_Museum) {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cling, Alice}} Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Navajo artists Category:Native American potters Category:American potters Category:Native American women potters Category:People from Coconino County, Arizona Category:American women potters Category:21st-century American ceramists Category:20th-century American ceramists Category:20th-century Native American artists Category:21st-century Native American artists Category:20th-century Native American women artists Category:21st-century Native American women artists Category:Navajo women artists Category:Ceramists from Arizona --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alice Cling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Cling) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Cling?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.