{"id":32,"date":"2017-10-20T18:44:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T18:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www-dev.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/?page_id=32"},"modified":"2017-10-20T18:44:00","modified_gmt":"2017-10-20T18:44:00","slug":"mccreath","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/mccreath\/","title":{"rendered":"William McCreath"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Professor Emeritus,
\nArt and Design<\/p>\n

Although much changed in the ceramics program at Montclair State since 1966, there was always a constant: Professor William McCreath. In his 47 years with the University before his retirement in May 2013, McCreath\u2019s energy, drive and leadership helped grow the program from two courses with about 30 students to one with more than 100 students each semester pursuing BA, BFA, MA and MFA degrees.<\/p>\n

Along the way, McCreath, who was granted emeritus status upon retirement, inspired and mentored a generation of students, many who went on to careers as artists or art teachers. \u201cProfessor McCreath taught me all the skills necessary to be a practicing, full-time ceramic artist,\u201d says Lisa G. Westheimer \u201908 MA, an artist who teaches at the Montclair Art Museum. \u201cHe taught me to never cut corners or compromise and to be brave in the face of criticism.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\"Photo<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\u201cI began attending ceramics classes at Montclair State to balance my high pressure career as a retail marketing director,\u201d recalls Barbara Efchak \u201908 MA. \u201cAfter a couple semesters I committed to the master\u2019s program. With Bill\u2019s guidance, encouragement and constructive \u2018suggestions,\u2019 my work began to evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Efchack is grateful to her mentor for helping her attain a life goal: \u201cI joined an artist co-op and began selling my work and after graduating, I became resident potter and teacher at the Shelburne Art Center in Vermont for three years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Known for his lively lectures and passion for art, McCreath, earned two diplomas from Teachers\u2019 College in Dundee, Scotland, the country of his birth, a BFA in painting from the University of Manitoba in Canada and an MFA in Ceramics from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis lectures were always full of a dynamic energy \u2013 coupled with an amazing Scottish accent \u2013 that could hold the attention of scatterbrained artists like me for hours,\u201d says Jason Timochko \u201900, \u201907 MA. \u201cHe was a master at facilitating young artists on their own personal journey of creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many former students, McCreath\u2019s influence went beyond working with clay. \u201cHe didn\u2019t only teach ceramics, he opened doors to a life I never dreamed of seeing,\u201d says Huda Shanawani \u201997, \u201909 MA. \u201cHe showed us how to look at life with an opened mind, and to see things from the other side. Everything and everyone has a potential of becoming better if they just give it a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

McCreath, who received the 2013 Distinguished Faculty Award from the College of the Arts, was best known outside of the College as the Grand Marshall of the University Commencement ceremonies. For the past seven Commencements, he carried the mace and led the procession of administrators, faculty and students into the IZOD Center, making him one of the most recognizable professors on campus.<\/p>\n

His greatest contribution, however, was in the classroom. \u201cHis passion for his subject never faded \u2013 even after 40-plus years of teaching,\u201d notes Timochko. \u201cHis ability to flow and adapt to change is unlike anything I’ve seen in a classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProfessor McCreath is the kind of teacher that I wish every student will get one day in their life,\u201d says Shanawani, who learned from him that, \u201cThere is always a solution to the problem, we just have to look for it and never be afraid to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lasting memory for Westheimer is the professional advice he gave her at the beginning of her career. \u201cI asked him how to price my work for sale,\u201d she recalls. \u201cHe said to think up a number. If it doesn’t sell, you charged too much. If it sells immediately, you charged too little.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI began attending ceramics classes at Montclair State to balance my high pressure career as a retail marketing director,\u201d recalls Barbara Efchak \u201908 MA. \u201cAfter a couple semesters I committed to the master\u2019s program. With Bill\u2019s guidance, encouragement and constructive \u2018suggestions,\u2019 my work began to evolve.\u201d Efchack is grateful to her mentor for helping her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":86,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-32","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/lasting-lessons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}