Apprenticeships: Altering the American Potter examines the work of Clary Illian, Jeff Oestreich, and Warren Mackenzie from the CROSSROADS episode. Connected by their individual experiences as apprentices at Leach Pottery in England, these potters are influenced by the Mingei philosophy of creating hand crafted art for utilitarian, everyday use. They continue to work based on the idea that everyday handmade objects are honest, inexpensive, and functional—and by this virtue, fill one’s life with beauty.