Every year, pottery is highlighted and celebrated in southeastern Ohio in what is called Pottery Lover's Week. For full details land schedules, be sure to check websites, as venues and dates change each year.
The Heart of the Industry: Southeast Ohio Pottery Festivals
Article and Photographs by Toni Leland
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| This elegant 1917 Weller Hudson vase features hand-painted iris. |
In the heart of clay country,
Muskingum and Perry Counties have a rich pottery history. For nearly 200 years,
the high-quality clay that is unique to Southeast Ohio has provided some of the
best pottery available.
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| The J.W. McCoy Pottery Company in Roseville, Ohio circa 1899. (original image from National Ceramic Museum) |
In the very early 1800’s, the rich clay in
Muskingum County was prized for producing utilitarian pottery for the pioneers.
These early potteries were known as “bluebird potteries” because they opened
every year when the bluebirds returned to the area. By 1900, Zanesville was a
world center for this pottery and was known as “Clay City.” The Industrial
Revolution expanded this country craft into “art pottery,” bringing such
illustrious names as Limoges, Wedgewood, and Royal Doulton onto the scene. The
turning point for the American entry into this movement was the Philadelphia
Centennial Exposition in 1876, an event which drew huge crowds who immediately
fell in love with the European art pieces.
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| This Owens Jardiniére and pedestal of the Majolica glaze line (1895-1905) stands almost 3 feet tall. |
In 1882, Maria Longworth Nichols Storer
founded the Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati and, seven years later, won the Gold
Medal at the Paris Exposition. During the same year that Storer founded
Rookwood, East Fultonham potter Samuel Weller moved his pottery to Zanesville,
determined to equal or better the Cincinnati pottery. Competition was fierce
between the early potteries; artisans were wooed away, foreign artists were
brought in to teach special techniques, and industrial sabotage was not
uncommon. Roseville potter J.B. Owens opened his Zanesville pottery in 1891,
“stole” Weller’s artists, and from 1891-1895, produced work that equaled
Rookwood. Roseville Pottery moved to Zanesville in 1900 and, in 1904, won the
Gold Medal at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Between the years of 1902 and
1907, Weller and Jacques Sicard developed a shimmering glaze that changes
colors much like an opal. The process they used remains unknown.
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| A unique Weller Dickensware II Circus Vase produced in 1902 using the sgraffito technique. |
The 1907 Banker’s Panic and the Great
Depression took their toll on the height of the Art Pottery Movement after only
twenty years, then advances in production methods and technology brought about
the end of the movement before 1950. Two Muskingum County companies became
important in the tile-making industry: American Encaustic Tile Company
(1875-1936) and Mosaic Tile Company (1894-1967). However, the unique pottery of
Southeast Ohio continued to thrive, with the focus on items with consumer
appeal. Hand-painted decorative and practical wares became the signature of the
pottery and stoneware of the area, and are still available today.
Well-known potteries that were located in
Southeast Ohio include American Encaustic Tiling Company, Clark Stoneware
Company, Hull Pottery, Mosaic Tile Company, McCoy Pottery, Owens Floor &
Wall Tile Company, Peters & Reed Pottery, Roseville Pottery, Shawnee
Pottery, Watt Pottery, Weller Pottery, Zanesville Majolica, and Zanesville
Pottery.
Pottery Week in Southeast Ohio
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| Zanesville's distinctive hand-decorated 8-foot Aurelian Vases are painted by local artists. The design is a reproduction of one that J.B. Owens created for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. |
Every year in July, Zanesville
is the site of many activities known locally as Pottery Week, a non-stop ten
days of sales, auctions, exhibits, and displays geared toward collectors of
such famous pottery names as Weller, McCoy, Hull, Owens, and Roseville to name
a few.
The original concept of “opening the
potteries” began with the earliest bluebird potteries. Through the years, the
idea grew as enthusiasm for collecting spread across the nation. Forty-five
years ago, the first Crooksville-Roseville Pottery Festival was held; the event
grew and was joined fifteen years later by the Pottery Lovers Reunion, followed
by the first McCoy Pottery Convention held in 1988. The events grew in
popularity and soon the Hull Pottery Convention joined up and, in 2000,
Zanesville Pottery started a large outdoor pottery exposition, known as the
Zanesville Pottery Festival.
The “week” usually starts at the
end of the second week and runs for about 10 days.
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The National
Road–Zane Grey Museum displays a large body of work from the collection of
Richard “Dick” Downey, including pieces of Weller, Roseville, and Owens, many
of which have never been on public display.
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The Zanesville
Museum of Art’s exhibit of ceramics defines Art Deco in Ohio, including
Roseville, Weller, Cowan, Meric, Hall China, and Homer Laughlin.
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The National
Ceramic Museum & Heritage Center is the destination for pottery
history, and hosts an Antique and Collectible Pottery Show in conjunction with
the festivals. The annual kick-off includes the traditional plate-breaking
ceremony.
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Crooksville-Roseville
Pottery Festival is held in Roseville with pottery demonstrations, live entertainment,
games, and activities.
·
The Pottery
Lovers Reunion takes place at several local hotels: Ramada, Best Western,
and Best Value Inn. Collectors can buy, sell, trade, and talk about pottery at
these various venues.
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McCoy
Pottery Collectors Annual Convention includes a mixer and auction, and a
banquet with show & tell.
·
Hull
Pottery Convention Show & Sale is held at Crooksville High School.
·
Zanesville
Pottery Festival is an outdoor venue of pottery-oriented items. Exhibitors
set up shop and many do demonstrations. Food, music, and games are part of this
event.
·
Belhorn Auction presents a Pottery Lovers Auction at the Muskingum County Conference &
Welcome Center.
Downtown restaurants and shops open for Taste of Zanesville on the Wednesday
during that week. Visitors can sample fresh goods from the Farmer’s Market and
browse through artisans’ crafts and artwork. Take a look at the popular Earth to Art Show & Raffle on the
library lawn, sponsored by the Muskingum County Master Gardeners and showcasing
beautiful floral arrangements and container plantings, which are professionally
judged. Hundreds of items are donated for the raffle, and the proceeds go to
school scholarships in the community. For a change of pace, take a ride on the
Lorena Sternwheeler, or enjoy one of the dinner cruises on Fridays and
Saturdays.
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| A circle of Zanesville vases at the west end of the historic Y-Bridge. |
Southeast Ohio is an exciting place to
visit during this annual salute to a magnificent pottery heritage.
________
©2011 Toni Leland. All rights
reserved. This article originally appeared in Country Living, Jul ’10. No
portion of this work may be reproduced without written permission of the
author. Links to this article are welcomed, with proper full credit.
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