ROBERT MARKLE (1936 -  )

A stalwart of the Hockaday, and Arts In The Park since the beginning, Robert Markle has been working and fine-tuning his ceramic craft and aesthetic values for over thirty years. Born and raised in Sidney, Montana, Markle studied at Alfred University in New York, and Flathead Valley Community College, where he also taught pottery for several years. 

He has exhibited widely in Montana and the northwest; his works are found in the permanent collections of several museums, including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C.

He lives with his wife Anne and son Tyler on a small farm nested with a view of Montana's Columbia Range. The Markles have built a colony of wooden buildings where life revolves around the seasons of the garden, the drying of the clay and firing of the kiln. Robert has distinguished himself as a creator of functional, high-fired stoneware pots with lead-free glazes. The singular beauty of Markle's pottery has grown from a synthesis of creator and creation. Each piece is skillfully hand-crafted with great attention to detail. Form and function are artfully combined as only a potter with years of experience can achieve.

Arts In The Park 1969 to Present