Tony Macias' Story
Tony Macias was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where from a young age his world was shaped by his grandfather—his abuelito—and his tío Pancho. They taught him to stay curious, to pay attention to life’s adventures, and to never stop exploring the world around him.
His family moved to the United States in 1968. After a couple of years in Chicago, they settled in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It was there that Tony discovered sports—running, cycling, and anything involving endurance came naturally to him. Those early experiences taught him discipline, effort, and the quiet satisfaction of pushing his body across long distances, lessons that became central to his way of living.
In 1979, Tony enrolled at UW–Parkside as a psychology major, but everything changed in his second year when he encountered clay. The moment he touched it, the direction of his life shifted. He changed his major to art and graduated in 1990 with a BFA in ceramics, painting, drawing, and printmaking.
Although UW–Parkside was a small campus, the influence of its five art professors was profound. Their passion and dedication shaped Tony’s development as a professional creative. Professor John Murphy, in particular, became—and remains—a trusted friend and mentor.
During college, Tony reconnected with his Mexican and Native American roots. This reconnection opened pathways to artistic traditions that continue to guide him—Korean and Japanese pottery forms, Mexican and Native American ceremonial influences, and the expressive energy of the Abstract Expressionist Ceramics movement, also known as the California Clay Movement. The strong, fearless work of Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner, Toshiko Takaezu, Beatrice Wood, Jun Kaneko, and many others expanded his understanding of what clay could become.
As a full-time artist, Tony worked countless jobs just to stay afloat—to buy supplies, tools, equipment, and whatever was necessary to keep creating. In 1993, a transformative opportunity arrived. His friend, mentor, and fellow artist Joel Pfeiffer invited him to participate in the World Clay Stomp, a large-scale international project at Northern Arizona University. Tony’s role was to cut the massive clay compositions each artist created so they would fit the kiln while preserving the integrity of each design, and to assist in firing the Anagama kiln over several days with students and staff.
The experience changed his life. It brought him face to face with artists he had only ever read about, led to assistantships and workshop opportunities, and deepened his commitment to clay—confirming that he was exactly where he needed to be.
Over the years that followed, Tony’s work evolved into a study of form, color, rhythm, and pattern—how these elements coexist, create tension, and find harmony. He draws inspiration from nature, the human form, and human nature itself. Patterns guide his process, shaping individual pieces, series, and installations that may seem overwhelming at first glance but become calming when viewed up close.
In January 2005, Tony stepped away from making art entirely. He paused his practice for more than 13 years to care for his father—a period that changed him in ways he continues to understand.
After his father passed in 2018, Tony turned to long-distance running and cycling to help navigate grief, health challenges, and the search for direction. Those miles helped him regain resilience. They helped him rebuild himself.
In 2023, a new chapter opened. Tony discovered the House of RAD. In January of that year, he moved into the Riverwest hRAD location. During the building’s birthday celebration, he presented a wheel-throwing demonstration and made his first pot in 18 years—the skills returning to his hands as though no time had passed.
He later presented a Raku firing demonstration during the 2024 Riverwest 24, and in the same year, he exhibited a new body of Raku-fired work in his CONVERGENCE show at Concordia University’s art gallery.
His momentum was briefly interrupted by heart issues, requiring two months of recovery. But he returned—grateful to be creating again, grateful for the House of RAD, and for the artists and friends their, who helped bring him back to himself.
Tony’s story continues— in meeting life’s happenings with creative resilience, relentless work ethic and compassionate clarity, honoring tradition while exploring new forms, and carrying forward the curiosity that began in his childhood. Today, that journey lives on in his new studio and home at hRAD 4.0 in the Menominee River Valley, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“If you’re in the neighborhood please stop by! I’ll introduce you to our hRAD community!”
Tony’s invitation…