Staley has stated that art and life are "profoundly interre-
lated." Throughout his career he has come to recognize how
art can have profound implications on all aspects of life. "Art
has the ability to build a sense of community because it can rekindle our collective sense of childhood wonder."

Chris Staley is a distinguished professor of art (ceramics) in
the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State and the
Penn State laureate for 2012-13. His ceramic pieces are
included in the International Museum of Ceramic Art, Fuping, China; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England;
and the Smithsonian, Washington D.C.

Staley serves as chair of the board of directors at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, Maine. He has had
numerous one-person exhibitions and is represented by the
highly regarded Garth Clark Gallery in New York City. He has
served as artist-in-residence at the Ceramic Art Museum,
Fuping, China; the European Ceramic Work Centre in the Netherlands; and the Archie Bray Foundation in Montana.