Between the years 1911-1918, Arequipa Pottery existed first as a way to provide therapy to patients at a California sanitarium and then as a financial endeavor that might had been successful were it not for World War I.  Arequipa, meaning "the place of peace" was the brainchild of Dr. Philip King Brown.  After having founded the Arequipa Tuberculosis Sanatorium, it was his belief art would play a significant role in one's recovery efforts.  Soon, he attempted to make it a profitable company, if for no other reason than to offset the costs associated with providing supplies to the patients.  After having brought on board a few different people to assist in the management efforts, Dr. Brown brought in F.H. Wilde.  Wilde was experienced in the details of starting an art pottery and knew how it make it financially successful.  He promptly took to his new position and did quite well until the war made it unfeasible to continue. 

Still, the patients, who were most likely pre-teen and teen girls, were allowed to display their artistic wares at the Panama Pacific Exposition in 1915.  They were allowed to keep a small percentage of their pieces that sold as well as small salary.  It was Dr. Brown's belief this type of therapy was as important as proper nutrition and the medications used to heal the girls' physical ailments.  As mentioned above, Arequipa Pottery was not able to turn a profit and eventually, it came to rely solely on donations until they too began to decrease.  1918 marked the final year of the art pottery company.  Many of the pieces these young patients were responsible for creating are on display at the Smithsonian Institution.  The pieces that are in circulation are considered quite valuable and each is one of a kind since the patients either created at will or would complete a piece and promptly begin another project.

On a final note, it wasn't until 2001 another showing that rivaled the size of the 1915 Panama Pacific Expo displayed Arequipa Pottery.  While many pieces remain at the Smithsonian Institute, there are a significant number that can be found in Oakland's Museum of California.

Donna McGill - Just Art Pottery

If you're going to be in Portland sometime between now and January 25, 2009 you're in for a treat.  The Museum of Contemporary Craft is hosting an exhibit entitled The Ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler.  The nearly 100 pottery pieces on display are from several private collections and West Coast museums.  Altogether, the items represent a range of forms that the Natzlers created over the course of many years.

The Ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler exhibit includes the viewing of two documentaries, The Ceramic Art of the Natzlers, Artists of the World Series (1966) and Earth, Fire, Water and Wind: The Ceramics of Otto Natzler (1992).  This is a rare opportunity to see the Natzlers at work in their studio and hear them tell about their ideas, processes, and products in their own words.

The museum has also posted an audio podcast of a lecture by Otto Natzler on their website MuseumofContemporaryCraft.org.  The lecture was originally delivered at this same museum in 1975 along with a retrospective entitled Natzler Ceramics.

In order to demonstrate the influence that the Natzlers' work has on ceramics today, there are are selected vessels on display by two contemporary artists, Jeremy Briddell and Adam Silverman.  The entire exhibit is open each week Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., with a late closing of 8:00 P.M. on Thursdays.  For more information, contact the Museum of Contemporary Craft at 503.223.2654 or online.  There is a detailed, illustrated brochure about the Natzlers and the exhibit at  http://www.museumofcontemporarycraft.org/pdf/2008_08_Natzlers.pdf.

Just Art Pottery

Just Art Pottery is pleased to announce we are now taking preorders for the 2008 modern Teco Art Pottery Collection™ .  The modern Teco collection is a line of high quality reproductions that maintains the integrity of original, antique Teco Pottery.  The 2008 collection makes a great compliment to the seven vases offered in the inital 2007 modern Teco Art Pottery Collection™.

Each piece from the Teco Art Pottery Collection is produced in the United States.  Each of the vases in the Collection is hallmarked with the company logo as a guarantee of quality and authenticity and to ensure no confusion with original, antique Teco Pottery.  The 2008 offering of the Teco Art Pottery Collection™ includes the following five vases and is offered in the seven colors shown.  New colors for 2008 include aqua and orange.

2008 Modern Teco Art Pottery Collection (From Left to Right)

Teco Art Pottery Collection™ Prairie Matte Green Vase

Teco Art Pottery Collection™ Pogoda Matte Green Vase

Teco Art Pottery Collection™ Zen Green Floor Vase

Teco Art Pottery Collection™ Genie Green Vase

Teco Art Pottery Collection™ Apollo Green Vase

Place your order now for shipment in late September 2008.

Just Art Pottery

In an earlier post, we told you about two contemporary potteries that produce top quality art pottery pieces.  Scott Draves and Chris Powell aren’t the only artists creating modern day masterpieces, though.  There are many other potteries producing gorgeous art pottery examples that are already highly collectible.   

Ephraim Faience Pottery

Ephraim Faience is another pottery that was born out of the desire to replicate the style of the American Arts and Crafts movement.  It was originally founded in Deerfield, Wisconsin by Scott Draves and Kevin Hicks, but Draves left in 2001 to open Door Pottery.  Kevin Hicks continued to pursue his dream of creating forms and sculpted effects like the potters of the early 20th century. 

Hicks and his staff create original, handmade pottery pieces that fit perfectly with the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts style.  Ephraim’s bold decorations are natured-inspired, sometimes even featuring animal motifs.  The Ephraim studio celebrates each designer and artist on the team, and you can read a short biography of each one on the company’s website.  This adds a personal quality to their work and makes you feel like part of the family when you buy a piece of EFP art pottery.

Jemerick Art Pottery

Steve Frederick and Cherie Jemsek are the artists behind Jemerick Pottery.  Steve has worked with pottery since 1973, where he studied at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.  He produced work in a variety of styles until a friend introduced him to the Arts and Crafts style in 1997.  His work has reflected the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement ever since. 

Cherie joined Steve’s pottery in 1976.  She sculpts repetitive leaf and floral patterns on the pieces after Steve throws the basic forms on the wheel.  Cherie’s one-of-a-kind style is based on Arts and Crafts, but the sculpted elements are often unique in their exaggeration.  No matter how original they are, however, all Jemerick forms and decorations are rooted in the Arts and Crafts ideals of simplicity and honesty.   

Because their high quality artwork and limited production pieces, Jemerick pottery is sought after by collectors.  Jemerick Art Pottery is located in Saugerties, New York.

Just Art Pottery

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. 

The Ephraim Pottery Collectors Society is hosting the First Annual Ephraim Pottery Convention on June 20- 21, 2008 at the Sheraton Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin.  The convention is open to the Ephraim Pottery Collectors Society Membership only. The Society is dedicated to the collection and preservation of Ephraim Faience Pottery.  Specific Society goals include researching the history of the pottery, facilitating the sharing of information about the pottery, establishing a network of collectors, and encouraging the buying and selling of Ephraim Pottery. 

The convention will feature seminars by Kevin Hicks, owner and founder of Ephraim, as well as other notable Ephraim employees and collectors.  The convention will also offer the opportunity to purchase Ephraim Pottery.  There is a full schedule of events for the convention at the Society’s website. 

Greg Myroth – Just Art Pottery