Mika Negishi Laidlaw

Mika Negishi Laidlaw was born and raised in Kobe, Japan, and has worked in the U. S. and Japan. She earned a BA from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 1994, and an MFA from Kansas State University in 2000. At Kansas State she met her lifetime mentor Yoshiro Ikeda.  Other accomplishments include; apprenticeship at Akishino Pottery, Japan from 1994-97, 2001 McKnight Artist Residencies for Ceramic Artists, 2003 Summer Artist Residence at the Archie Bray Foundation, 2004 Emerging Artist at National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), 2006 NCECA demonstrator in Portland, Oregon, recipient of 2006, 2011 and 2015 McKnight Fellowship for Ceramic Artists, and 2014 Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Minnesota State University.  She exhibits nationally and internationally including in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Guam, and Spain. Mika is a Professor of Art at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She lives in Mankato with her husband, two children, and a dog. mikanegishilaidlaw.com