Inside Pewabic Pottery

Over the holidays I visited Pewabic Pottery, founded in 1903 by Mary Chase Stratton. It rose out of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Today, it's a non-profit ceramic art education center that still makes tile and pottery in virtually the same way that she did. Pewabic has a terrific website for the visit-and-shop-from-afar crowd.

This Tudor Revival National Historic Landmark was built to house Pewabic Pottery in 1907.

You can tour the fabrication area... here is one of three different kilns.

A detail of the kiln and tongs...

In the glaze room, pre-glaze...

The unglazed vessels show the beauty of the forms....

The tile showroom, where you can see samples of the different glazes that brought such recognition to the pottery. Here you can also work with a designer on custom installations.

The Museum Store has a wonderful collection of pieces made on site....

..... as well as a gallery of tile and pottery from other artists... This teapot was made by Steven Cheek, marrying traditional celadon with a design motif that would be at home in a punk rocker's budding collection.

Traditional Pewabic forms and glazes.... the rich, layered colors and simplified natural motifs made me feel like I had stepped out of winter and into a garden of a different form.

There is also a small museum housing pieces that Mary Stratton herself made, historical photos and information, and exhibition galleries.

The Education Studio has classes and workshops for children and adults, including one in which you can make your own tile!

The Pewabic Pottery Self-Guided Tour brochure was my best friend for this adventure. I owe thanks to its nameless author.