Life in the Studio Book Talk

Join Frances Palmer for a lively discussion about her book, Life in the Studio: Inspiration and Lessons on Creativity. She will also be available after her presentation for a book signing!

Frances Palmer is a potter and gardener, working for over 34 years from her home and studio in Weston, Connecticut. Frances earned a BA from Barnard College and an MA in art history at Columbia University. Her handmade, functional ceramics have been exhibited and sold internationally, including at Fotografiska, March, Moda Operandi, Neue Galerie, the Philip Johnson Glass House, Object & Thing, and Wave Hill. Since 2017, Frances has collaborated with the design-led ceramic manufactory 1882 Ltd. on a collection of creamware for the table. Her work is represented in leading private craft and contemporary art collections around the world. She is often featured in publications including British House & Garden, Elle Decor, House & Garden, T: The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and The World of Interiors.   

In 2019, Frances began producing wood-fired ceramics, which are now represented by Object & Thing. For the recent two-artist Object & Thing exhibition at The Madoo Conservancy (Sagaponack, New York), design historian Glenn Adamson wrote about Frances’s work in the accompanying essay: “Palmer, herself a gardener of great skill, contributes wood-fired ceramics that provide intelligent counterpoint to the house’s vibrant palette. Palmer’s pottery is distinguished for its wide range of glazes; she has a signature touch, more than a signature look.”

Frances is also a self-taught photographer, documenting her own floral arrangements in the vessels she makes. The book on her work, Life in the Studio: Inspiration and Lessons on Creativity, was published by Artisan Books in 2020.  It comprises essays describing her ceramic and garden processes as well as her philosophical ideas about making a creative life.

Please arrive 15 minutes before the talk begins.

Check in at the Welcome Center.

Presentation and book signing will take place in the Welcome Center at Lyndhurst.

The ticket does not include entry into the Mansion but provides access to the grounds.

All ticket purchases are non-refundable.

Lyndhurst's Season Presented by: