Will Ruggles | Also Known As: Douglas Rankin, Rock Creek Pottery
Will Ruggles, along with Douglass Rankin, made a wide line of functional, wood-fired pottery: tall jars, pitchers, platters, plates, teapots, cups, rice bowls and serving bowls.
The pots are wheel thrown or drape ...
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Typical Marks
About
- Biography
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Will Ruggles, along with Douglass Rankin, made a wide line of functional, wood-fired pottery: tall jars, pitchers, platters, plates, teapots, cups, rice bowls and serving bowls.
The pots are wheel thrown or drape molded with simple decorations: sometimes plain brushwork with slip, and once-fired glazes.
Will Ruggles and Douglass Rankin co-owned and operated Rock Creek Pottery in North Carolina for many years. Their pots are influenced by the Hamada-Leach-Yanagi tradition in aesthetics and production methods, which were introduced to them by Randy Johnston, who had studied in Japan.
In addition to being well known for their pottery, Ruggles and Rankin held instructional workshops on kiln building, advising and helping many potters and institutions.
As of June 2017, The Marks Project is not aware that Ruggles and Rankin are producing any pottery.
" - Apprenticeships & Residencies
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1976-1978
Apprentice, Randy Johnston Pottery, River Falls, Wisconsin
- Primary Work Experience
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1978-1980
Co-owner, Potter, Hillcrest Pottery, Beldenville, Wisconsin
1980-2007Potter, Rock Creek Pottery, Bakersville, North Carolina
Other
- Public Collections
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Gregg Museum of Art and Design, North Carolina State
Midwest Museum of Art, Elkhart, Indiana
North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, North Carolina
Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville, North Carolina
University, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Bibliography
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Harkey, Linda. “Will Ruggles and Douglass Rankin: Rock Creek Pottery.” Ceramics Monthly 50, no. 7 (September. 2002).
Hluch, Kevin A. The Art of Contemporary American Pottery. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2000.
Hopper, Robin. Stayin’ Alive: Survival Tactics for the Visual Artist. Iola WI: Krause Publications, 2003.
Joslin, Michael and Ruth Joslin. More Mountain People, Places and Ways: Another Southern Appalachian Sampler. Johnson City TN: The Overmountain Press, 1992.
Lawton, Jim, Suzanne J. Tourtillott, and Linda Kupp. 500 Teapots: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Design, v. 2. Asheville NC: Lark Crafts 2013.
Minogue, Coll, and Robert Sanderson. Wood-fired Ceramics: Contemporary Practices. Philadelphia PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000.
Rankin, Douglass, and Will Ruggles. “Rock Creek Climbing Kiln, Part I”. The Studio Potter 22, no. 1 (December 1993).
Rankin, Douglass, and Will Ruggles. “Rock Creek Climbing Kiln, Part II”. The Studio Potter 22, no. 2 (June 1994).
Tourtillott, Suzanne J. E. ed. 500 Bowls: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Design. Asheville NC: Lark Crafts: 2003.
Triplett, Kathy. Handbuilt Tableware: Making Distinctive Plates, Bowls, Bowls, Mugs, Teapots, and More. Asheville NC: Lark Crafts, 2003.
Troy, Jack. Wood-Fired Stoneware and Porcelain. Iola WI: Krause Publications, 1997.
- CV or Resume
- Website(s)
Citation: Will Ruggles, "The Marks Project."
Last modified April 29, 2026. https://www.themarksproject.org/artists/will-ruggles
Objects
Collections
Southern Highland Craft Guild Collection
Asheville, North Carolina
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Southern Highland Craft Guild Collection
Asheville, North Carolina
