Artist Peter Voulkos, who was credited with founding the contemporary clay movement in art, died of an apparent heart attack on Saturday. Voulkos was on campus taking part in “Peter Voulkos ‘ Friends: A BGSU Interdisciplinary Art Symposium.” He was 78-years-old.

“We’ve been looking forward to working with him for the next two weeks,” said Janet Ballweg, interim director for the School of Art. “The students really enjoyed working with him.’

“He loved being here,” said John Balistreri, an assistant professor in the School of Art, “This was his favorite place to work.”

Balistreri also added that Voulkos had been working with many of his old friends while he was on campus.

“We’re all so blessed that he was here,” Balistreri said.

Voulkos was born in Bozeman, Montana on January 29, 1924. He received his Bachelor of Science in Applied Art degree from Montana State College in 1951. The next year he received his Masters in fine art from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.

During his career, Voulkos taught at several institutions including the University of California, Berkeley, Los Angeles County Art Institute, Greenwich House Pottery, New York Teacher’s College, and Columbia University, Black Mountain College in Asheville, North Carolina and the University of Montana.

Voulkos had also won several awards for his work in sculpture including the Ford Foundation Purchase Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Louise Nevelson Award in Art, and the Montana Governor’s Award for the Arts.

All of the remaining planned events for the symposium have been canceled out of respect for Voulkos. The symposium was supposed to run until March 1. A memorial service for Voulkos will be held on campus. Details and arrangements for the memorial have yet to be finalized and they will be announced at a later date.