After 5: Keeping it in the family: Praters' ceramic collection

“I thought it was beautiful, I bought it, and our families’ collections started from there,” she says.

Prater began to educate herself about ceramics collections; she initially subscribed to two magazines, scouted out exhibitions in other cities and made a point of going to those galleries and museums while traveling.

It would be a major understatement to say she is a casual collector; she watched one piece in particular by California artist Richard Shaw for close to 20 years before acquiring it.

Soon after she began collecting, her husband, Dr. Bill Prater, an ophthalmologist at the time, joined. “Bill was always involved,” Marie Prater recalls, “he became more involved as time went on.”

After Marie and Bill Prater began collecting, their son, Tom, was studying ophthalmology at Washington University in St. Louis, while his fiancé, Kimberly, was studying radiology.

Tom Prater found a beautiful ceramic teapot by artist Thomas Hoadley and gave it to Kim. “She loved it,” recalls Tom Prater of Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center.

Tom and Kim Prater’s passion for collecting began at that moment, and they continued to add to their collections after they returned to Springfield in 1987.

The best of the Prater family collection was on display recently at the Missouri State University Art and Design Gallery at Walnut and Jefferson.

Keith Ekstam, a professor of art and design at MSU, was the co-curator for the exhibit.

Ekstam first discussed the idea for this exhibition with Bill and Marie Prater in 2004, at a showing titled “Teapots at Hard Work” at the College of the Ozarks.

“As some of the beautiful teapots on display were from the two Prater collections, I thought that we could mount a more comprehensive exhibition of the Praters’ ceramics collections at the MSU Art & Design Gallery in downtown Springfield,” Ekstam recalls. “The Praters were quite enthused about this proposal, and this exhibition came to life from those discussions. The primary focus of the collections emphasizes the mid-to-late 20th century ceramic art. They include many of the most important artists in ceramic art: Peter Voulkos, Ken Ferguson, Paul Soldner, Rudy Autio, Beatrice Wood and many others,” Ekstam said.

Ekstam summarizes the major changes in ceramic art in the mid-to-late 20th century. Voulkos and others worked at Black Mountain College of the Arts, where they were introduced to and influenced by many important contemporary art movements such as abstract expressionism and pop/funk art.

“Many of the Praters pieces reflect these movements,” Ekstam says.

Up Close with Dr. Tom Prater

Most valuable piece: A Ralph Bacerra head sculpture.

Favorite piece: For Kim and I, our favorite pieces vary from day to day, depending on our mood and the time of day.

Most unique piece: In our collection, it is a wall-mounted piece by Jeff Johnston, from College of the Ozarks. It hangs on the wall by our fireplace.

One of the Praters' pieces is this large work, above, by College of the Ozarks professor Jeff Johnston.

Two of the pieces in the Prater ceramic collection are "Blue Cove," above, by Richard Shaw, and "Holi Dancing Soup Tureen," below, by Betty Woodman. Woodman is featured in the November 2006 issue of "Art in America."

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