Think the American Arts and Crafts movement is history?  Think again.  It may be the 21st century, but there are still artists who create beautiful art pottery pieces in the style of the early 1900s.  The simple elegance of Arts and Crafts style has inspired a new generation of potters a hundred years later.  Many contemporary potters are using the clean lines, nature themes, and custom glazes that are reminiscent of a bygone era. 

The old art pottery masters left very few records about their methods, and many of their techniques died with them.  It is up to the modern day artists to experiment with forms, details, and glazes to create their own style.  Most of the contemporary artists use the antique masterpieces as inspiration, not as objects to be copied.  The result is a fresh supply of modern masterpieces that have their own, unique qualities, but still remind us of the art pottery from another time.

If you’re a collector or art pottery enthusiast looking to establish a stronger Arts and Crafts feel in your home decor, adding some of the new pieces in with the old is a great way to do that.  Investing in contemporary art pottery is also an investment in future collectible art.  Discontinued Door and Ephraim pieces, for example, often sell for multiple times their retail prices when they return to the secondary market via auction or pottery shows.

Of course, the modern day art pottery masters are not limited to the Arts and Crafts style.  In the coming weeks, we’ll introduce you to a several potters that produce high quality art pottery in a variety of styles.  Keep checking back to find out about more contemporary art potters like these:

Door Pottery

Scott Draves opened Door Pottery in 2001. Three years later, he moved his studio into the old Lakeside  Pottery facility in Madison, Wisconsin.  He wanted to get back to the roots of the Arts and Crafts movement, which put more emphasis on creativity and handmade quality than on production.  He has become well-known for his unique forms and stunning, handmade glazes.  Scott currently employs a small staff of artists who hand make each Door Pottery piece and teach the Arts and Crafts style to students.  Door pieces are made to order and ship within four to six weeks of ordering.  Just Art Pottery always maintains a variety of Door Pottery in stock including many hard to find and one of a kind experimentals, trials, and limited production pieces. 

Chris Powell Pottery

Chris Powell’s interest in Arts and Crafts style pottery began in college when he saw an exhibit of Teco pottery.  He was inspired by the variety of glazes and the elegant simplicity of the forms.  Chris worked as a production potter until 1994, when he opened his own studio in Westerville, Ohio.   He does the throwing, decorating, glazing, and firing of each piece C. Powell Pottery.  He also creates all of his own forms and glazes.  Chris’s work has elements of Art Nouveau and Art Deco in addition to Arts and Crafts.