Peace Project Ceramics was formed in 2003 by Jim Shrosbree, Professor of Art and head of Ceramics at Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa.
Acting as primary designer for the project, Jim works with Mara Winningham a potter with years of studio experience, and a number of dedicated students who are involved in design input, production, and marketing.
Significant to the work is the way it is produced. Prototypes, designed in the studio and used as models in producing multiples, are made by our most experienced potters. Students participate in different stages of the process and as they become more skilled are given greater responsibility. This collaboration engages the tradition of a lively production process that allows the hand of the individual craftsperson to come out in the process of making. Some designs are followed more strictly, however, in other cases there is room for interpretation— leading to new discoveries, combinations, and variations added to the line of work we produce. New interpretations in the studio process may also lead to the birth of a new prototype design.
All profits made by the group, many of whom are volunteers, are donated to selected peace-creating groups in the world.