I will need to stop in Kenosha some time soon to see what is in the Kenosha Public Museum’s collection.  The exhibit’s description is…

Hand-crafted, signed pottery from the Kenosha Public Museum’s collection. The most representative collection of early Wisconsin ceramics with hundreds of pieces. On display at the Mary Frost Ashley Treasures Gallery through July 2008

Its sort of sad that a website, Art Pottery Manufacturers, needs to be dedicated to help sustain the last remaining pottery companies in the US. But unfortunately the state of manufacturing in the US is so cut throat that they have been disappearing too quickly the last couple of years. Some names remain, but have moved off-shore (sad again). There are glimmers, especially in Wisconsin where we seem to have several companies that are doing well: Ephraim Faience, Door Pottery and Rowe Pottery. The state of Wisconsin Studio Potters looks good, in part due to the success of the above.

The Art Pottery Manufacturers website also has a great listing of links. I will be going through them to find out some more about some of the current larger scale manufacturers of pottery in the US.

Has died at 101. Like everyone, I found the Jazz Bowl to be amazing. In 2006, reproductions were brought to the Wisconsin Pottery Show & Sale and I was amazed at the size of the vase.

The Iowa Art Pottery Association has started a new website to add to the information they already distribute through their member newsletter.  The members of the group have amazing pieces in their collections & they have worked tirelessly to educate people about pottery.   A recent accomplishment was the placing of a historical marker at the site of the Roseville factory.   I’ll have to stop by there often.

A little different then other art pottery websites is a blog from Daryle Lambert. He is quite forthright in saying why he is into art pottery: the money. But it brings a direct objective view & his posts on many different potteries cut to the matter of what makes them valuable and what are the most desirable lines.

Normally I don’t post much on studio pottery outside of Wisconsin because I had to set some limits or it could get overwhelming because there are so many studio potters out there, but I’ll make an exception for someone just over the border in Illinois.  Emily Murphy makes soda fired pottery .  On her blog she shares a lot of information on making pottery and on the soda fired process.

From the Peoria Journal Star is some more information on the former Haeger factory at 411 W. Calhoun St. which closed in October 2004. “The factory was more than 100 years old. It came back from at least one devastating fire and had operated under the Haeger name since 1939.”  “Manufacturing of the company’s pottery lines was shifted to another plant in East Dundee.”

I ran across a website with an extensive list of pottery & porcelain marks.  For me it will be the US marks, but there was several other countries that were well represented.  The marks look like they were mainly before 1900.

Ran across articles in the Peoria Journal Star & the Macomb Eagle mentioning an old Haeger factory being requested to be rezoned into housing. Always like to know where they use to operate pottery factories. The factory was located at 411 W Calhoun St in Macomb, Illinois.

I ran across a blog that has some cool ceramic artist, Lisa Larson from Sweden. The mid-century modern pieces from 1950-1980.