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MARY GATES DEWEY
Mary Gates Dewey was born and raised in southern Florida. Upon her graduation from high school , she moved North to attend the Cleveland Institute of Art where she majored in painting. Later, when her husband was teaching at the University of Alabama, she first studied ceramics and it was there that she found a real affinity for the diverse applications of clay. Mary and her family moved back to Ohio in the early 70's where she continued her work in clay, opened a gallery and studio in Zanesville, and taught ceramics and sculpture at Muskingum College in New Concord. In 1980 she was forced to make a major life change when her teaching job was eliminated and she was separated from her husband. It was then that she moved to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to begin her ceramics work in earnest. Her new location provided an inexpensive lifestyle; her studio and house were built in the midst of the woods, one mile from the nearest road with no electricity or running water. She came upon the idea for the cats purely by accident in 1982. On the day of the first firing in her new studio, Mary was adopted by a very special cat and he was named Kaygee which is short for kiln god - it is a tradition among potters that a new kiln have a kiln god made of clay to ensure successful firings. Kaygee dedicated his life thereafter to inspiring Mary's cat designs. He is now long gone and in his stead are two energetic and ornery Oriental cats named Chuck and CT. Mary's latest designs often capture their grace and impishness and today it is only cats that leave the studio. The cats continue to evolve with each passing year and although Mary's house and studio have moved and have become what some would call more civilized, complete with flush toilets, she still finds peace and inspiration in the woods and hills, with her cats by her side.