Peter Voulkos was a Montana-born artist who changed how people think about clay and pottery.

Peter Voulkos (born Panagiotis Harry Voulkos) was born on January 29, 1924, in Bozeman, Montana, to Greek immigrant parents and grew up in a working?class family. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he used the GI Bill to study art at Montana State College in Bozeman, where he first tried ceramics in classes taught by potter Frances Senska and quickly fell in love with clay. In the early 1950s he set up a pottery workshop in Helena, then went on to teach in California, where his bold, abstract clay sculptures broke away from traditional bowls and vases and helped start what many people call the ?American Clay Revolution.? Voulkos later taught for many years at the University of California, Berkeley, became known for dramatic live demonstrations in which he built huge clay pieces in front of students, and his artworks are now in major museums around the world. He died on February 16, 2002, in Bowling Green, Ohio, but is still remembered as a pioneer who turned clay into powerful modern sculpture.