Swink received a classic science education from Colorado State University graduating with a BS in Wildlife Biology in 1967. His science/art abilities have made him a sought-after artist, instructor and archaeological collaborator. He has taught over 80 Anasazi pottery workshops of various intensities from 2nd grade to graduate college level and presented 10 scientific papers of which three have been published.
Some important achievements include:
~ Invited by the National Park Service to conduct the first Anasazi pottery firing on Mesa Verde since ca. 1300 AD as a demonstration at the 69th annual Pecos Conference (8/94).
~ Created permanent Anasazi pottery making display for the Chapin Museum, Mesa Verde National Park (4/95).
~ Collaborated with the Bureau of Land Management and conducted the first pottery firing of an actual Anasazi trench kiln (“Camp Kiln” 5/97).
~ Selected as one of 39 world wide presenters (the only potter) at the Ceramic Technology and Production Conference at the British Museum, London (11/97).
~ Pot #1309A displayed in the White House as part of Hillary Clinton’s “Save America’s Treasures” and included in the permanent white house collection (1999-2000).
~ Corrugated pot featured in PBS documentary “Cannibals in the Canyons” (5/00)
~ In conjunction with the University of Texas, began and conducted 6 Maya pottery research workshops in Belize, Central America (2001-06)
~ Corrugated pot #1458 featured in History Channel documentary “Cannibal Instinct.” (2/2005)
~ Published Messages From the High Desert (2004)
~Presented “Maya Pottery Replication in Belize–Solving the Mystery of the Missing Maya Kilns” at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Austin, Texas, April 27, 2007.
~Presented “The Renaissance of Mesa Verde Pottery” at the University of Colorado Museum’s exhibit Ancient Southwest: Peoples, Pottery and Place, March 7, 2013.
~ Important featured articles:
National Geographic, March, 1996
Ceramics Monthly, April, 1999
American Archaeology, Summer, 2000