In Fall 2025, the Electa Quinney Institute welcomed their resident artist, Jennifer M. Stevens. As one of the three resident artists working with the EQI for the 2025-26 school year, Jennifer conducted a two-semester hands-on program teaching prehistoric Oneida pottery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jennifer Stevens is Oneida and Lakota-Oglaga, Hunkpapa, and Rosebud. She grew up in De Pere, Wisconsin, on the Oneida Reservation. She has received a Bachelor of Arts Degree at St. Norbert College and an Honorary Master\u2019s Degree, both in Prehistoric Oneida Pottery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During her now 24-year career in teaching prehistoric Oneida pottery, she has taught at various schools K-college in guest\/resident artist positions. However, her residency at EQI was her longest yet. \u201cI had to adjust how I typically would do things\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevens\u2019 program, which was free and open to any student or community member, consisted of multiple parts: the class harvested basswood and processed its fibers, which students used to create cordages. The cordages were wrapped around wooden paddles which assisted students in adding texture to their pottery. They gathered local clay, processed it, and mixed it with crushed granite stone grit. They then hand-built two types of pots: a smaller \u201cpinch pot\u201d and a larger pot, both decorated in designs made with various tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevens\u2019 residency led to creative challenges, which ultimately resulted in creative solutions. When on a time crunch to process the clay, she created a new system to do so, using a bucket with a fine mesh screen. Thanks to her solution, the clay was processed after only four days when, typically, it can take much longer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt forced me to see things in a different perspective, it forced me to be more efficient, and that is a gift to me.\u201d Jennifer said, reminiscing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevens\u2019 worked alongside a couple of interns. Monique Valentine is a Latin and Caribbean Studies student and Kinship & Responsibility scholar, and was offered the opportunity to intern with Jennifer during the Spring semester. \u201cI had an opportunity that was not available everywhere.\u201d Monique remarked. \u201c[Jennifer] made it a peaceful learning environment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though it took some planning to avoid the early-spring showers, the pots were eventually fired in front of Merrill Hall on a beautiful day in mid-April. When under sudden notice of incoming rain, Jennifer rushed to build a shelter out of firewood, bundling the pots beneath in the heart of the pit. The rain went as quickly as it came, and soon the firing was complete. The pots were finished! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to the work of Jennifer M. Stevens, the lost art form of traditional Oneida pottery can be experienced again in the modern-day classroom. Her work not only serves to teach, but also to preserve a valuable aspect of pre-colonial Oneida culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Written by Silvia Steffes<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In Fall 2025, the Electa Quinney Institute welcomed their resident artist, Jennifer M. Stevens. As one of the three resident artists working with the EQI for the 2025-26 school year, Jennifer conducted a two-semester hands-on program teaching prehistoric Oneida pottery. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38835,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[36,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","category-education"],"uwm_unpublish_requested":false,"yoast_head":"\n