THE ARTS
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orthern Arizona University did not have a ceramics program when Don Bendel arrived in Flagstaff in 1970. Armed with two degrees in art education and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Bendel was recruited to jumpstart a program for aspiring potters. Thirty years later, NAU had one of the most robust ceramics programs in the country, and it earned international recognition for kiln design and construction. Bendel made it so with his unflappable energy, a fierce dedication to his students and a distinctive sense of humor. He formed a decades-long ripple effect of passion that extended to every person fortunate enough to know him. Students arrived at NAU to study engineering, Spanish, physical therapy and other majors. One class with Bendel and many ended up with degrees in ceramics. Why? Because Bendel knew how to teach. He created an environment that was driven by student creativity, trial and error and individual growth. Students built kilns, dug clay, tested glazes and attended conferences. They collected cow patties by Lake Mary and fired them in kilns with chicken for a cookout. Bendel played his harmonica, drank coffee, ate doughnuts, made art and changed lives. Former students know this is not an exaggeration. “I learned more about being a whole person than I did about being a potter.” — Joni Pevarnik. “He fostered the impression that I was figuring it all out on my own.” —Margaret Josey. He literally changed my idea of who I was, what I could be, and thus, the direction of my life.” —David Crane
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Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine