NEHMA | Collection - Laura Andreson

Laura Andreson

American, (1902–1999)

Born in San Bernardino, California, Andreson began working with clay in the education department at the University of California, Los Angeles, while pursuing a degree in teaching. After her graduation in 1932, UCLA invited her to establish one of the first academic ceramics programs on the West Coast. She led the ceramics department—training hundreds of students—from 1933 until her retirement in 1970. Andreson was a daring figure for the time. For the entirety of her career at UCLA, she lived publicly as a lesbian with her partner, the painter Polly Blank. This was virtually unheard of during the early and mid-twentieth century, when individuals who were public about their untraditional sexual orientation were often fired from their jobs.

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