LEWISTON — Esteemed for both the pottery he makes and his broader contributions to the field of ceramics, Mark Shapiro visits Bates College to discuss the history of American stoneware at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, in Room 104 of the Olin Arts Center, 75 Russell St. The presentation is open to the public at no cost.

Titled “The Potter’s Craft in America: Two Centuries of Stoneware and the Present,” his talk will explore early American stoneware and postwar ceramics.

Shapiro, of Worthington, Mass., is visiting Bates College under the college’s Learning Associates Program, which enables faculty in the humanities and social sciences to bring to campus scholars, experts and practitioners who provide a real-world context for ideas and learning.

His wood-fired vessels are represented in diverse museum collections and have been shown at venues including the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, Calif.; the exhibition “Pottery Jam” at the Worcester (Mass.) Center for Crafts, which he curated; the Newark (N.J.) Museum of Art; and the Smithsonian Institution.

He is also an author, editor and teacher, and is known for the apprentice program he offers for aspiring ceramicists at his Stonepool Pottery.

For more information, call 207-786-6151.