Education
McVey studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art (1927-1932) and at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center (1943-1944).
McVey studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art (1927-1932) and at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center (1943-1944).
In 1953, McVey returned to her native city of Cleveland and established her studio "Pepper Pike."
Large-scaled, biomorphic, assymetrical: McVey"s innovative hand-built work reflected her dissatisfaction with wheel-thrown pieces and led the way for modern ceramic art in the United States. Influenced by surrealism, her sculptural stoneware and porcelain works embody the natural, organic form. In the 1960s, McVey"s work slowed due to her failing eyesight.
McVey"s work may be found in several private, corporate, and public collections:
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Michigan
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia
Eidelberg, Martin P., The Ceramic Forms of Leza McVey.
Hudson, New York: Philmark Publishers, 2002.