With great sadness, The Los Angeles Pottery Show announces that co-founder and former show producer Ken Stalcup has passed.
PHOTO: Ken Stalcup (left) and his partner Dennis Warden (right)
Battle with cancer waged with dignity, strength and bravery
Ken Stalcup, co-founder of The Los Angeles Pottery Show quietly passed away on January 13th, 2017 after a battle with cancer. Those who know Ken personally describe him as a kind, patient and strong person who will be dearly missed.
Ken Stalcup and his longtime partner and recent spouse Dennis Warden started the Los Angeles Pottery Show back in 1999. It began with some friends urging Ken and Dennis to fill a need for collectors and sellers of art pottery to come together at a singular event. An annual event where all could browse, learn, buy, trade and most important of all, meet and socialize within the art pottery community from all across the country.
Last year, after a long and successful run as creators and producers of the Los Angeles Pottery Show, Ken & Dennis made the difficult decision to finally retire from the show and enjoy life together.
Upon learning of Ken & Dennis’ decision to retire from running The Los Angeles Pottery Show, avid art pottery collector and event producer Kyle M. Shiroma approached them with an appeal to continue the show – to not only extend the legacy which they created, but to build the show into something for the next generation of art pottery collectors to enjoy.
It was shortly after this happy and exciting time of transition for The Los Angeles Pottery Show that Ken received the terrible diagnosis of terminal cancer. Ken and Dennis looked into every possible treatment available to try and beat the aggressive disease.
Chemotherapy was administered, but Ken’s body did not respond well to the treatments. Finally, after realizing that the cancer had spread too extensively, Ken decided that hospice’s caring comfort and spending quality time with friends and family was the best that he could hope for, and for as long as he could.
Despite facing his own mortality, Ken kept an upbeat attitude and occasionally posted updates on his Facebook page where friends and family wished him well.
Please join us in sending prayers and best wishes to Ken’s widower Dennis in this time of sadness and grieving for a friend and love lost. Let’s all come together at this year’s Los Angeles Pottery Show in May to celebrate the legacy in the art pottery world that Ken Stalcup has left behind. Hope to see you all there!
The Los Angeles Pottery Show 2017 held this year on May 20th-21st, 2017 will be officially dedicated to the memory of Ken Stalcup, and the legacy he leaves behind forever in the art pottery collecting world. Ken will be dearly missed by everyone he has touched with his passion for art pottery.
If you have any suggestions on various ways to honor Ken Stalcup’s memory, such as starting a scholarship fund to an art department or school, or perhaps the donating art pottery for a silent auction to benefit Dennis or the organization of his choice etc., at LAPS 201, please email them to info@TheLAPotteryShow.com
