 | Asheville business & community directory |
|
Smith-McDowell House Museum is hosting "Buncombe County Pottery: A History in Clay," through August 22, 2004. This special exhibit will showcase examples of work from Buncombe County, North Carolina’s major 19th century pottery centers, including both utilitarian and rare early folk pottery. This exhibit is guest curated by noted North Carolina potter and author Rodney Leftwich. As early as 1844, potters, attracted by rich clay deposits and new opportunities, began migrating to western North Carolina, especially Buncombe County. These potters set up shops and provided items that were essential to daily life, such as butter churns and canning crocks. As the number of potteries increased, collaborations took place and techniques were shared, creating a pottery style and tradition that is unique to Buncombe County. With the advent of commercial dairies and inexpensive glass canning jars brought by the railroad after 1881, the demand for locally made utilitarian pottery began to decrease. Many potters experimented successfully with art pottery for the expanding tourist market; others gradually went out of business. Nevertheless, their contributions to North Carolina’s unique pottery tradition is noteworthy.
Smith-McDowell House Museum is a restored circa 1840 mansion and local history museum located at 283 Victoria Road on the campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. The Museum is open 10 AM to 4 PM, Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 4 PM on Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students, and $3 for children ages 5 to 18. Children under the age of 5 are admitted for free. For additional information, call the Museum at 828-253-9231 or visit www.wnchistory.org. (Images provided by Smith-McDowell House Museum)
|
The exhibit will include rare examples of pottery made by Penland-Stone of Candler, Trull-Rutherford Pottery of Candler, Donkel Pottery of Reems Creek, Yonde-McClure of Weaverville, J.R. Cheek Pottery of Weaverville, Brown’s Pottery of Arden, and Pisgah Forest Pottery of Arden. 