Gary Red Oak O'Neil

Ceramics

Forming a Passion and a Legacy  

Wesleyan Potters was founded in Middletown in 1948.  Twenty-one years later, Clara Skinner Guy, an East Hampton High School art teacher, saw a budding artist in her freshman class and recommended him for a scholarship.  It was the beginning of Gary O’Neil’s life-long association with Wesleyan Potters and the only time he paid for classes.  He was a scholarship student from that moment on.  Gary’s father felt strongly that he must pay back their largesse in some way; nothing should be free. He began by sweeping, making glazes, loading kilns, and doing janitorial duties after school every Friday.  He was 14 at the time and did so for the next four years. During this period, he was also fortunate to meet a life-long friend named Preston Maynard. They share life milestones, including relationships, marriage, births and deaths to this day.

During this period, Gary won awards and accolades from Scholastic Art, a state and national high school program rewarding students whose work is recognized as exceptional.  It was Gary’s access to WesPots that made this possible.  They helped to award him an annual summertime apprenticeship at Marian Eckhardt ‘s Brewster Pottery in Brewster, Mass. Despite WesPots support, his parents were conflicted.   Though it was clear that he was passionate about clay, they felt that his aspirations gained there were not available to a racially mixed male where the membership was all white. More Importantly, Gary was learning disabled and his father was worried about his future success.

Opportunity arose during the summer of 1971 to be an exchange student to Cali, Colombia before attending college. His parents voiced concerns about his minimal Spanish, not knowing their culture and being thousands of miles away from home.  He went anyway and stayed for eight months.  It was a life changing experience.

Throughout all of this, Wesleyan Potters stayed in touch.  Upon his return, they helped him with his college application to Maryland Institute College of Art.  Member Judy Manchester was from Baltimore, and she was a woman with connections.  She called Eugene Leak, the President of Maryland Institute who she knew well, and explained that because of Gary’s learning disabilities, he would need remedial help.  This was a saving grace because the university had a program for his needs. Mary Risley, both a member and a Wesleyan Professor, worked closely with Gary on sculpture and design projects in preparation for his senior portfolio. 

While at the Maryland Institute, he worked as an apprentice to Professor Mary Nyburg in the Ceramics Dept.  This gave him the opportunity to be part of an exchange program at the San Miquel de Allende Institute in Allende, Mexico.  His father insisted he major in education and minor in ceramics to insure he had a marketing skill upon graduation. Wisely and gratefully, Gary listened.  Wesleyan Potters reached out to him from their new location on South Main Street and a small, dedicated group helped prepare him for teacher interviews.  They drilled him on classroom management and art skills. Their work was not done until Gary got a job.

After being hired by the Meriden Public Schools, Mary Risley would visit him along with her “clipboard”.  She made notes and loved seeing his rapport with the students.  She went back to Wesleyan Potters Education Committee and told them to hire him as a studio teacher where he has been teaching ever since. Member Mary Sease insisted learning is quicker and more valuable through exposure and experimentation to a variety of artistic styles. His education experience expanded with assisting notable visiting artists at WesPots workshops such as Steven Hill, Otto & Vivika Heino, Leach Pottery and others.

Due to his Meriden teaching connections, Gary would bring students on visits or field trips. Older members appreciated this exposure to the youth. He expanded his teaching skills by working with all levels of ceramic classes, children to adults.  This included the gifted/talented to special needs students, a group dear to his heart.

In 1999, Gary was named Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year. 

Gary became a father to daughter Kyle, born with down syndrome with accompanying serious health issues of heart and hearing. She was in and out of hospitals and it became clear that she needed open heart surgery.  Denied services at Hartford hospital due to being a high risk, her parents took her to Boston Children Hospital to allow her the best opportunity for survival.

Melissa Schilke was WesPots office manager at the time, and Gary and she were on speed dial concerning Kyle’s deteriorating condition.  Two weeks before they took Kyle to Boston, he was called in for a private meeting. A group of members presented him with a bank passbook worth thousands of dollars to defray upcoming expenses. This “Act of Kindness” told him how valuable he had become to the organization…. he was an investment.

Gary has exhibited in local, State and International shows over the years.  Recently, his artwork was acquired by the Wadsworth Atheneum for their permanent American collection. On every occasion, members of Wesleyan Potters, family and friends came to support him.

A life-long learner and teacher, he continues to refine his craft and to show his artwork throughout Connecticut.

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