Dennis Ott
1943-2024
After retiring from the corporate world Dennis Ott grew from being a ceramics student at the Sedona Arts Center, to a beginning wheel instructor, to heading up Sedona Arts Center’s Ceramics Department for 22 years from 2002-2024. Along the way he organized workshops in Italy, taught clay on the Navajo Reservation, built a kiln in Nicaragua, and interacted with many clay artists organizing presentations and exhibitions.
In 2003, 2004, and 2007, Ott organized and accompanied groups of students for weeklong workshops at La Meridiana School of Ceramics in the hills of Tuscany, Italy. Taos, New Mexico was the 2005 destination working with Emma and Delores Lewis, the daughter of Lucy Lewis, famous Acoma potter, in primitive Native American pottery process and design. In 2009 and 2010, Ott and a fellow artist conducted 4-day workshops at Monument Valley High School in Monument Valley, working with Navajo High School students creating clay Sculptures and Vessels. “It was such a privilege to work with these kids and watch them express their creativity in clay using their Native American culture.” Dennis continued to look for outreach programs in the community and beyond. In 2016, he spent 10 days in Nicaragua working with Potters for Peace, building a wood fire kiln in a small village, enabling the people to create clay water filters and clay creations to sell to tourists.
Dennis taught and developed the Ceramic Department into a vital part of Sedona Arts Center. Dennis was honored with the Sedona Mayor’s Arts Award in Arts Education in 2017 and 2018 and was one of three Finalists for the Arizona Governor’s Arts Award in Arts Education twice.
Dennis Ott passed in October of 2024 and will be greatly missed.
