"Clay Artist"
Ira Jon Burhans
Ira Jon Burhans received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota in 1980. Ira’s concentration was in ceramic art with a minor in sculpture. During this period he served an internship at Clayworks Studio Workshop in New York City.
Ira studied the numerous forms of ceramics, functional as well as sculptural and also explored many of the different firing processes that transform the basic raw materials used by a ceramic artist into their final forms. Currently, Ira produces a wide variety of functional as well as sculptural wheel thrown white earthenware.
The result of two decades of hard work in his Palm Harbor, Florida studio has culminated in national recognition for his sculptural and functional work. His work is currently represented in over 100 galleries nationally and has been sold as far away as the Virgin Islands and Guam.
In 1995 Ira along with his wife Barbara and Bill and Linda Renc opened The Painted Fish Gallery in Dunedin Florida. The Painted Fish Gallery is recognized in the Tampa Bay area for exclusively representing American Artist and Crafts persons both locally and nationally known.

"I started making my fish vases 6 years ago when we opened the gallery. They were so well received that it started me on a whole new line of fish related pottery...

Along with fish vases, I make fish toothpick holders, fish napkin holders, fish candleholders, fish toothbrush holders, fish lotion/soap pumps, fish platters and a complete line of dinnerware pottery with a fish pattern hand-painted on each piece. I have sold my line of functional pottery for the past 11 years and have been a professional potter since 1980".
In addition to the time spent in his own creative endeavors, Ira Burhans also serves as an instructor of ceramics at the Dunedin Fine Arts and Cultural Center, Dunedin, Florida since January 1981.