American ceramics artist. Bresnahan was an apprentice of Nakazato Takashi, an established ceramics artist, during his year living in Japan. Upon his return to the US, Bresnahan established Saint John’s Pottery at his alma mater, Saint John's University in Minnesota. He has been a professor at Saint John's University since 1980, where he teaches topics varying from pottery and Japanese art culture to environment within art and sustainability. Bresnahan's work incorporates locally-sourced clay, and firing pieces within a self-made wood-burning kiln. His ceramic works can be found in many prominent collections around the world, from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in Minnesota to the Idemitsu Museum in Tokyo, Japan. He has received many awards and grants throughout his career including the National Endowment for the Arts, Research in Indigenous Clay grant by the Natural Resources Research Institute, and the Saint Paul Nagasaki Sister City Award.
