Carl G. Jensen, who spent more than three decades shaping the ceramics program at what is now Colorado State University Pueblo, died peacefully at his home on Aug. 30. He was 89.
Jensen joined the University of Southern Colorado (USC) faculty in 1970 with a mission to build the ceramics program from the ground up. He taught there until his retirement in 2006, mentoring countless students through their artistic journeys while continuing his own creative work in clay, paint and digital media.
Born in Odon, Indiana, on Sept. 11, 1935, earned his bachelor’s degree in 1957 from Indianapolis University. He then worked for several years before returning for his master’s in 1965. During that time, he kept creating. His artwork appeared in competitions both locally and across the country.
The pull toward teaching brought him to the University of New Mexico in 1968, where he taught ceramics while pursuing his MFA. But Jensen wasn’t content just making pots. He dove deep into the cultural history behind the craft, completing doctoral research on the pottery traditions of Northern New Mexico’s Zia Pueblo Indians. That scholarly approach would mark his entire career.
At USC, later CSU Pueblo, Jensen built more than just a program. He created a space where students could explore both the technical demands of working with clay and the deeper questions about why we make things with our hands. His colleagues remember someone who took teaching seriously but never took himself too seriously.
Jensen’s own artistic practice continued throughout his teaching years. He exhibited regularly, but those who knew him say he was just as interested in a student’s breakthrough moment at the wheel as he was in his own gallery shows.
He’s survived by his wife of 45 years, Tracy, along with his golden retriever Fergus and African grey parrot Kivi. The couple’s home was apparently never quiet, between the dog and the rather opinionated bird. Jensen was preceded in death by his daughter, Jennifer Anne Jensen.
Memorial arrangements are pending. The university plans to exhibit his work in an upcoming exhibition to be announced.
