Sunday, April 20, 2008

My Town Monday: Pewabic Pottery




Pewabic Pottery was founded in 1903 by Mary Chase Perry Stratton at the height of the Arts and Crafts movement in the U.S. In 1991, the building and its contents were moved to E. Jefferson, where they still sit today. Works produced at the pottery can be found across the country including the National Shrine in D.C. and at Herald Square in New York.

Pieces produced at Pewabic Pottery are especially valued for their distinctive glaze. Today, the Pottery continues to grow as a museum, an educational institution, as a shop and as an important part of the Detroit art community. Pewabic Pottery still reflects the vision of its founder and many of the most popular work produced here are in Arts and Crafts style-emphasizing nature, classic children’s stories, animals. Their lovely tiles graces many homes, schools and buildings in the Detroit area.

Pewabic is Chippewa Indian term for "clay with a copper color" according to an article on the National Park Service website.
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/detroit/d5.htm (Thanks, Tim).

FOR LINKS TO OTHER MY TOWN MONDAY BLOGS: http://traviserwin.blogspot.com/

21 comments:

Travis Erwin said...

Where does the term pewabic come from?

Lyzzydee said...

Its a really distinctive type of pottery, bright colours!! Thank you for the info!

The Anti-Wife said...

The pottery is beautiful. Thanks for sharing this.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Lewer Pewabic is a settlement situated in the state of Michigan. (that's the best I came up with on google.) Funny I'd always thought it was an Indian tribe.

Tim Zinkgraf said...

Pewabic is Chippewa Indian term for "clay with a copper color" according to an article on the National Park Service website.
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/detroit/d5.htm

Several sites refer to the Pewabic Copper Mine that was near her birthplace of Hancock Michigan as an inspiration.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Thanks. Tim. I'm going to add that to the entry.

Sophie Littlefield said...

oh, I hadn't heard that name - "Pewabic" - for years....discovered it via an old friend who shares your hometown. I LOVE that stuff and have always dreamed of having a beautiful old craftsman home with a mantle tiled with some of these gorgeous tiled. That ain't happening any time soon (looks like I'll continue to reside at our Taco Bell far into the future) but it was nice to look at the pictures again.

Debbielou said...

Interesting stuff - had never heard of that term before - Thank you

Barrie said...

Very interesting!!!

Travis Erwin said...

Thanks to both you and Tim for answering my question.

Josephine Damian said...

Yeah, I was wondering about that name myself. This is a nice, folksy arts-and-craft look at a big city.

Patti: Did you get my email? From my earthlink acount? (my gmail is on the fritz) I sent it before I saw your comment about the blog/reading experiment.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Never got it. This is the idea if you're interested.

I wonder if you'd be willing to undertake a blog project with me on Friday. This is what I have in mind. Several people would all on the same day recommend and briefly review a book that has meant something to them but is not a widely read book. It could be any kind of book--even a book you read as a kid-but something not well known today. It bothers me that the whole country is reading the same 50 books and every other books is fading out of our consciousness. We could list the other links and challenge other people to come up with their own recommendations. And maybe later report on which books we went out and read. What do you think? Patti

Clair D. said...

I kind of like this idea. Not sure how much I can contribute-- or how well-known the books I read are (or not) but I'll play along.

Merry Monteleone said...

Great post!!! My mom is from Michigan, too - she's from Grand Rapids, though.

I'd love to participate in the book review project if you need a few extra reviews.

pattinase (abbott) said...

We're doing it on Friday, Clair and Merry. I have Clair's blog address just give me yours, Merry. And hey, to your Mom. Also at the end of your review (and it can be very brief) send out a invite to someone else you know to do one. Maybe we can keep it going that way. And books *not* well-known are what we're looking for. Thanks for coming along.

Merry Monteleone said...

My blog address is http://happycat7.blogspot.com

Under the name Mom and More.

I think I've got a good one, has anyone heard of Answer as a Man I've recommended it a ton and no one's ever heard of it before I told them to read it, so I'm guessing it's not greatly well known.

Sam said...

Lovely pottery - I especially like that green glaze!

j said...

That green piece is particularly lovely.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I yearn to have that piece.

WordVixen said...

That is a gorgeous piece! But I don't think I'd try to pronounce Pewabic in public...

pattinase (abbott) said...

Pooh-wah-bick.