Portland State Magazine, Spring 2021

posing with a few of his latest ceramic pieces, and she wondered where a lidded jar that holds so many memories ended up. Te jar traveled with the Grimms from Illinois to Portland in 1956 when Ray was hired to help set up a new ceramics department for Portland State College, which had just become a four-year school. Jere said the jar is t do a lot of things like everybody else,” she s quite with glaze development during his graduate year.” It was purchased collection and mentioned the jar. To her surprise, display in the dean’s ofce. story tells me about the closeness of those people building the University. When Fariborz Maseeh Hall opened in 2019 after renovations, Jere visited the campus to see a display featuring nine of Ray’s pieces—with the jar now featured.Te display case resides about 5 feet from the original entrance to the ceramics department her husband loved so dearly and dedicated 30 years of his career to.Te department may have closed in 2000, but Jere said the memories live on—even if the building looks nothing like its former self. footprints coming in the hall from the ceramics department,” SWORDFISK JOSH GATES GRIMM FAMILY ARCHIVES 5 Clay and Community PIECES OF HISTORY For decades, Jere Grimm stared at a photo of her late husband Ray Grimm, fresh from graduate school, holding a pipe and certainly refective of the pottery of its time, but “Ray didn’ added. “So it’s a rather unique shape and it’ original. He was doing a lot of experimentation During Ray’s frst year at PSC, he hosted a ceramic show featuring the jar. by friends, but for years Jere couldn’t recall who. Recently, she was talking with PSU’s School of Art + Design about a donation from Ray’s it had been donated back by the estate of of former dean of students, Charles W. Bursh, and his wife, Julia, and was on “After all those years,” Jere said. “Tis It’s such a tight-knit community.” “I almost expected to still see the clay Jere said. “It’s perfect.” — KATY 24 // PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE