Mike Dodson

Michael Dodson (1940-2024) graduated from Omro High School in 1958. Later that year, he entered the Air Force and trained as a military police officer. He served in Japan and Germany where he immersed himself in the local culture. During that time, he developed a lifelong love of travel while exploring the Far East and Europe. Mike graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in Art Education. After teaching K12 Art in Wrightstown for a brief time, he went on to earn his Masters of Fine Arts degree in ceramics from the University of Montana in Missoula. After his time in Montana, he changed career paths and worked as a long-haul truck driver for Arrowhead Conveyor. Throughout his years on the road, he was appreciated the landscapes and could often be found sketching works of art on any piece of scrap paper or napkin he could find.

Mike’s passion for ceramics flourished in retirement when he created his own space called ‘Studio 64’ in his home. However, since he was a people person, he reached out to his alma mater and found his niche within the Ceramics Department at UW Oshkosh, becoming a valuable member of the University community. This allowed him to continue honing his craft for pottery and over the years receive several awards at juried art shows around the state.

Mike also enjoyed substitute teaching, especially for his daughter, and driving patients to medical appointments for ADVOCAP. He passed his love of travel on to his daughters, traveling with them and his sons-in-law to places such as Japan, Germany, Egypt, Africa, Spain, Netherlands, Iceland, and the Galapagos Islands. When he wasn’t traveling with family, he was with his dear friend Mary exploring parts of China, Italy, the Panama Canal, and going on several cruises and many stateside adventures. This gave him the opportunity to enjoy train rides and a multitude of golf courses in the summer while downhill skiing in the winter.

Mike established the Mike Dodson Ceramics Award in 2016 to support ceramics students at UW Oshkosh.