Bloggers Note: We have received some images of the older pots in this exhibit, sent to us by the NC Pottery Center (Thanks!). We hope you enjoy them – they make this entry a whole lot better.
On my way to the Celebration of Seagrove Potters Gale Preview in Seagrove, NC, which was held on Nov. 20, 2009, I stopped in at the NC Pottery Center to see the exhibition, Fire in the Valley: Catawba Valley Pottery Then and Now, which will be on view through Jan. 30, 2010.
I can’t imagine a trip to Seagrove or even a trip near Seagrove without a stop at the NC Pottery Center – unless I have already seen the exhibit they are presenting and even then, I can still think of a reason to stop by – just to make sure it is still there.
In 2008, many people came together to help keep the doors of the NC Pottery Center open in the face of financial doom, and fundraisers have keep the doors open during 2009. It will take continual efforts by supporters to keep those doors open into the future. You can make donations on the Center’s website, take out a membership there, and even order one of the many fine books about NC pottery from their Museum Shop. The battle to save the NC Pottery Center is not over – keep the money coming.
But above all – go there and see what a wonderful resource center it is in presenting the story of North Carolina’s pottery heritage – which continues today.
This is not an exhibit review. I’m a long way from being able to review any pottery exhibitions. I’m not sure I’ll ever get there, but I’m learning more and more about pottery all the time. This entry is meant to get you to go see this exhibit and for many of you – to go visit the NC Pottery Center.
I’ll start with an excerpt from an article presented in Carolina Arts in our Dec. 09 issue about this exhibit: For most North Carolinians, the Seagrove, NC, area is the Mecca of pottery production, the place that most embodies historical continuity and native artistry. But just 100 miles due west of Seagrove is the Catawba Valley, the site of North Carolina’s other great pottery tradition. During the 18th century, numerous families, most of German origin, settled what are now Lincoln and Catawba Counties in the western Piedmont. The Catawba River encircles this region, and its South Fork, which meanders through the heart of both counties, has provided superb clays for the potters’ wheels. (See a complete article about this exhibit at Carolina Arts.)
Daniel Seagle c. 1830
Works by Michael Ball
What we have here is an exhibition of the old – some pieces dating back to the 1830’s and the new – works being made by contemporary potters in the Catawba Valley today. In an informal setting, you might not be able to identify the old from the new – except for subtle hints – the traditions of this area are strong even in today’s potters. You could probably place pots made in three different centuries next to each other and the average viewer couldn’t tell the difference – not to say that each individual potter didn’t have their own style. And, there are examples which show that these potters could step away from tradition at times – to express themselves in different ways. (The older pots were under plexiglass, making it hard to photograph.)
Isaac Lefevers c 1850
David Hartzog c 1850
Many might think viewing parts of this exhibit that these are just a bunch of – plain old pots – like the kind I was used to seeing on my grandparents farm back in Michigan – some collecting rain water for watering plants or filled with umbrellas or walking canes near a door. Pots that are no longer used for their original functions, but nonetheless have lasted longer than modern containers. These pots were mostly made for function too.
Works by Kim Ellington
The central figure in making this exhibit possible in showing the Then and Now of Catawba Valley pottery is Burlon Craig, who was born in 1914 and lived to the age of 88, before he died in 2002.
In the 1980’s, Burlong Craig was almost the last of the Catawba Valley potters, but he taught or more exact – let others observe him and the techniques involved in producing the areas style of pottery – leading to a whole new generation of Catawba Valley potters including: Michael Ball, Kim Ellington, Walter Fleming, Luke Heafner, Jeff Young, and Bob Hilton. All have works in this exhibit.
“Clown Face” by Jeff Young
The contemporary works presented in this exhibit by this next generation of potters might not seem so contemporary compared to pottery made today – especially seen by me that evening at the Celebration of Seagrove Potters Gala Preview. But in comparison to the works shown in the historical part of this exhibit – there are many signs of how these potters have expressed themselves differently, yet some pieces are the same shapes, but with a little fancier pattern of glazes. The Catawba Valley traditions are still held strong. There are even a few examples where Burlong Craig worked outside the box of tradition.
Although my tastes in pottery lean toward color and texture – I could see the merits to having some simpler – more traditional pieces. The more you looked at some of these works the more elegant they looked.
“Handled Rundlet” by Michael Ball
Of course like any exhibition on any subject – the limitations of space and the public’s attention span limits telling the whole story. Getting a fuller, richer, picture of the Catawba Valley pottery of North Carolina is up to you. You need to visit the potteries operating there, attend a local festival, read books that have been written about the area and its potters, and visit websites offering other information.
John Goodman c. mid 19th century
One such website is Catawba Valley Pottery of North Carolina. This website was created to serve as an informational and educational tool concerning Catawba Valley Folk-Art Potters and their wares. You can read a history of Catawba Valley Pottery at this link.
The 13th annual Catawba Valley Pottery and Antiques Festival will be held on Saturday, March 27, 2010, at the Hickory Metro Convention Center, I-40, Exit 125 in Hickory, NC, from 9am until 5pm. The Festival is a fundraising event for two non-profit institutions, the Catawba County Historical Association and the North Carolina Pottery Center.
And, info about the Burlon Craig Pottery Festival can be found at this link.
If any of this interest you I hope you’ll make the effort to go see this exhibit and check out the NC Pottery Center as well as potteries in Seagrove. But, I hope you’ll also think about making a trip to the Catawba Valley too. We want you to enjoy the pottery of both Carolinas – all of it.
In closing, I’d like to voice my opinion, once more, that we in South Carolina would be so lucky to have such a facility as the NC Pottery Center in SC – not just to show off our state’s pottery heritage, but to show off any areas of the visual arts. I hope that one day soon the citizens of NC and its leaders in the NC Legislature realize what they have and take measures to preserve it well into the future. The story of NC’s pottery legacy is still in the growing process – there will be a lot more to tell in the future.
And, there are a lot of people all over the world who are interested in that story. I know by the amount of folks who have been following my blog entries about Seagrove, NC pottery and its potters.
Fire in the Valley: Catawba Valley Pottery Then and Now will be on view through Jan. 30, 2010.
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