Peter B. Jones (Beaver Clan, Onondaga Nation, born 1947)

Peter B. Jones was born a member of the Beaver Clan in the Onondaga Nation. In 1999, Midge Stock, then Director of the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum in Salamanca, New York wrote about Jones for the Center’s exhibition, Beginning a New Century: Emerging Artists in Western New York. Noting that he is called “Pottery Pete” by friends, she credits how he “virtually spearheaded the revival of Iroquois-style pottery among the stateside Iroquois people,” after it had gone nearly extinct since the 17th century. By teaching others what he learned about traditional Iroquois methods and subjects, he reconnected ancestors with a new generation of potters. As in the past, she wrote that this utilitarian pottery:

always reflected the artistic creativity and expression of the maker…and Pete has continued that tradition as he has honed his art. Pete has additionally made his mark in sculpture, mixing the expression of tradition with political commentary. His unique sculptures often reflect people, past and present, in traditional poses; sometimes with a humorous side, and sometimes with both a humorous and a dark side, as they comment on contemporary, controversial subjects facing our people.