Social Media - Just Art Pottery

After much encouragement we are finally started to use social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. So if you are a member of either or are interested in joining see the links below to follow us on Twitter and become of fans of Just Art Pottery and Roseville Pottery on Facebook. 

We intend to the use the social media sites to better connect with collectors and to update customers on special sales and new additions to our inventory. We will also provide additional information related to art pottery.

Follow Us On Twitter

Join the Roseville Pottery Facebook Fan Page

Join the Just Art Pottery Facebook Fan Page

Greg Myroth

Just Art Pottery

Top 10 Pottery Searches on JustArtPottery.com for May 2009

The top ten searched pottery categories on JustArtPottery.com for May 2009 are below:

1. Roseville Pottery: Patterns A-E
2. Roseville Pottery: Patterns F-L
3. Roseville Pottery: Patterns M-R
4. Roseville Pottery: Patterns S-Z
5. Weller Pottery
6. Van Briggle Pottery
7. Rookwood Pottery
8. McCoy Pottery
9. Ephraim Faience Pottery
10. Newcomb Pottery

Greg Myroth - Just Art Pottery
6/20/09

Just Art Pottery Affiliate Program

After many requests we are finally ready to offer an affiliate program.   All you need to join our affiliate program is a website, newsletter or other means of promoting our art pottery. We can even pay commissions on phone orders you help generate.  We take care of all aspects of order processing and customer service.   

Our affiliate program is simple and here is how it works:  

• Sign up. Once your application has been approved, we provide you with unique individual links to our website and product categories that you will need to provide to potential customers. 
• Visitors to your site will click your links to come to our site and purchase items. When your referrals click through to Just Art Pottery using your links and purchase an item you will receive 5% of the sale value.  Our average order is over $450 so your commissions can add up fast. 
• Our website software records your visitor's purchases and the revenue you earn on the sale.
• Once a month or every other month if your balance is less than $20 we will send you payment for your sales.  Payment can be made by check or paypal.

All affiliate applications are reviewed for acceptance and affiliates must accept the following terms: 

• If advertising our products on the web your website or blog must be of high quality and family friendly.  Prior to approval of your application we will discuss your proposed methods of marketing our products.  All marketing methods are subject to our approval. 
• All emails must be sent to permission based lists only. We will not tolerate spamming of any type. 
• We do not allow bidding on our key words or sponsored links using our key words in search engines.
• We do not allow sponsored links using our business, website name or related copyrighted material.  
• Our program is designed to reward affiliates for sending other customers to Just Art Pottery. Please note that commissions are not paid on sales made directly to our affiliates.

Who might be interested in joining our affiliate program:

• Website owners
• Blog writers
• Pottery clubs and associations
• Interior decorators and designers
• Flower shops
• Retailers of contemporary arts and crafts accessories
• General line antique dealers looking to expand their product lines
• Individuals with pottery collector friends who may not be internet savvy

Contact us today to sign up for the Just Art Pottery affiliate program or to discuss potential partnering ideas.

Greg Myroth - Just Art Pottery

Lots of Pots - Old House Interiors Article

The September/October issue of Old-House Interiors featured an article titled "Lots of Pots" which focused on early 20th century American art pottery as well as contemporary studio pottery.  The article included a nice summary of active contemporary studio potters including:

• Carol Mead
• Common Ground
• C. Powell Pottery
• David Dreaching Pottery
• Door Pottery
• Ephraim Faience Pottery
• Katrich Studios
• Kreigh Art Ceramics
• Lonesomeville Pottery
• Nichibei Potters
• Sassafras Pottery
• Seiz Pottery
• Studio 233
• Suzanne Crane
• Turtle Island Pottery
• Verdant Tile Co.

The article also includes many photographs showing very decorative displays of Newcomb, Rookwood, Fulper, North Dakota, Van Briggle as well as numerous contemporary pots.  While the photographs and pottery displays are nicely done, a couple of the article's photo captions are incorrect and somewhat comical.  One caption referring to a display of contemporary Van Briggle notes that "early Van Briggle is prized because it is dense and difficult to chip."  Another caption referring to a Rookwood elephant paperweight designed by McDonald introduced in 1925 and totally unrelated to Van Briggle notes that "Artus and Anna Van Briggle were sculptors at heart, as this 3-D elephant paperweight shows."

Still, if you are looking for a summary listings of historic potteries still in operation, studio potters, slip-cast pottery and porcelain as well as vintage, reproduction and studio pottery dealers, the article is worth checking out.

Greg Myroth - Shop For Contemporary Studio Pottery

Help Identifying A Mystery Piece of Pottery

A good friend sent the vase shown in the photos asking for our help in identifying the maker.  When he sent it to us, he thought it was Hampshire Pottery which I know it isn't. 

Unfortunately I have no idea who made the piece.  I was thinking it may  be an European pot but that is a guess on my part.  I suspect one of our knowledgable readers will be able to positively identify the maker of this attractive arts and crafts style vase.  I would appreciate your assistance on this one!

Greg Myroth

Anniversary Gifts for Pottery Lovers

Summer is wedding season, and that means many of us will be celebrating wedding anniversaries in the coming months.  No matter what month your anniversary is, though, it's never easy to find just the right gift.  You want something unique, but not odd.  Original, but not useless.  And, of course, it has to be romantic.

The obvious answer is flowers.  Flowers have long been the ultimate expression of love and affection.  In fact, they've been an anniversary icon for so long that they've become a little predictable...unless you think outside the box.  Flowers in a vase are nice, but flowers on a vase are even better.   

Art pottery is inspired by nature, and many of the decorative themes are floral.  Your local florist may not have a fresh supply of clematis on hand to help you celebrate your 8th wedding anniversary, but you can easily find a Roseville Pottery piece that is beautifully decorated with this versatile flower.  Or how about an iris decorated piece by Rookwood Pottery for your 25th?  From Weller's nasturtium designs to McCoy's white lily bud vases, there is an art pottery piece for every anniversary.

Here's a list of traditional anniversary flowers, just in case you don't have them memorized.

• 1st Wedding Anniversary - Pansy
• 2nd Wedding Anniversary - Cosmos
• 3rd Wedding Anniversary - Fuchsia
• 4th Wedding Anniversary - Geranium
• 5th Wedding Anniversary - Daisy
• 6th Wedding Anniversary - Calla Lily
• 7th Wedding Anniversary - Jack-in-the-Pulpit
• 8th Wedding Anniversary - Clematis
• 9th Wedding Anniversary - Poppy
• 10th Wedding Anniversary - Daffodil
• 11th Wedding Anniversary - Morning Glory
• 12th Wedding Anniversary - Peony
• 13th Wedding Anniversary - Hollyhock
• 14th Wedding Anniversary - Dahlia
• 15th Wedding Anniversary - Rose
• 20th Wedding Anniversary - Day Lily
• 25th Wedding Anniversary - Iris
• 28th Wedding Anniversary - Orchid
• 30th Wedding Anniversary - Sweet Pea
• 40th Wedding Anniversary - Nasturtium
• 50th Wedding Anniversary - Violet

For extra brownie points, try placing an arrangement of anniversary flowers in an arts and crafts vase decorated with the same theme.   A Weller Eocean vase brimming with pansies.  A Roseville Pottery basket full of cosmos.  There's no better way to say I Love You!

Just Art Pottery

Ohio Art Pottery

You can't study art pottery very long without noticing that many of the great American potteries were in Ohio.  Roseville, McCoy, Hull, and Weller are some of the better known names that came from this region.  Between about 1840 and 1967, Ohio was home to hundreds of potteries, and most of them were located in one of two areas in east Ohio.

East Liverpool, which is located in along the banks of the Ohio River, was known as the "Pottery Capital of the World" and "America's Crockery Capital."  The ceramics history of this area began in 1840 when an Englishman named James Bennett discovered that the clay along the Ohio's riverbanks was ideal for making yellow ware.  Homer Laughlin introduced white ware to the local companies in 1872, and it soon became as popular as the yellow ware.  Companies like Hall China, Homer Laughlin, American Limoges, and Standard Pottery produced over 50 percent of American ceramics between 1840 and 1930. 

The area around the towns of Roseville, Zanesville, and Crooksville was the other Ohio pottery hotspot.  This southeastern Ohio region is rich in clay, and its pottery history goes all the way back to the Native Americans.  When European settlers came to the area, they set up "bluebird" potteries in their backyards and sheds.  Naturally, there were entrepreneurs who saw the pottery's profit potential, and an industry was born.  McCoy, Weller, and Roseville were some of the first potteries to establish successful businesses in the area that would eventually be known as the "Pottery Belt" and "Clay Corridor." 

The World's Columbian Exposition, which was held in Chicago in 1893, introduced the Arts and Crafts movement to American potters and greatly influenced Ohio's pottery industry.  Potteries began creating art pottery in addition to the utilitarian jugs and crocks they had been producing.  After the turn of the century, the art pottery business was booming, and Ohio was a leading producer.  Here are some of the better known pottery companies from the Roseville, Zanesville, and Crooksville Ohio areas.

• Brush-McCoy Pottery
• Burley Winter Pottery
• Gonder Pottery
• Hull Pottery Company
• Nelson McCoy Pottery
• Mosaic Tile Co.
• J.B. Owens Pottery
• Peters and Reed (Zane Pottery)
• Radford Pottery
• Robinson Ransbottom Pottery
• Roseville Pottery Company
• Shawnee Pottery
• Watt Pottery
• Weller Pottery
• Zanesville Art Pottery
• Zanesville Stoneware Company

Most of these companies closed at some point after WWII, when foreign competition entered the American market.  But Ohio remains true to its pottery roots and has many functioning potteries today.

Just Art Pottery

Art Pottery Museums to Visit this Summer

Summer is here, and that means many of us will be taking vacations.  If you're an art pottery collector, you might be interested in visiting a pottery exhibit during your trip.  Lucky for you, there are museums across the country with stunning art pottery on display.  There might just be one near your next vacation destination.

1. The National Ceramic Museum & Heritage Center - Roseville, Ohio

Located in the heart of "Pottery Country," this museum has a vast collection of Ohio pottery.  It's the best place to see Weller, Roseville, Brush, Brush-McCoy, Hull, McCoy, Zanesville, and much more all in one building.

2. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum - Winter Park, Florida

This museum's main attraction is the extensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, but their 11,000 square foot building is home to plenty of art pottery, too.  Visitors will find over 800 examples of American Art Pottery, including approximately 500 Rookwood pieces.  Arts and Crafts enthusiasts will also enjoy a furniture gallery that features Galle, Louis Majorelle, and Stickley.

3. Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art - Biloxi, Mississippi

Visit this museum and see over 250 works of art created by the "Mad Potter of Biloxi," George Ohr, as well as original documents, photographs, and other resource materials about Ohr and his family.  If you'll be closer to Texas than Mississippi this summer, you might catch the George Ohr Rising Traveling Exhibition at the San Angelo Museum of Art.

4. Cowan Pottery Museum - Rocky River, Ohio

Currently housed in the Rocky River Public Library, this museum has a collection of over 1,100 Cowan Pottery pieces.  There is only space to show 15-20% at one time, but the most important pieces are always on display.

5. Everson Museum of Art - Syracuse, New York

Everson boasts a collection of over 2,000 pieces of American Art Pottery.  Not only do they hold the largest collection of works by Syracuse native Adelaide Alsop Robineau, but they also have impressive displays of Rookwood, Fulper, Grueby, Tiffany, George Ohr, Newcomb and Marblehead.

6. Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art - Los Angeles, California

Among the diverse exhibits of this museum, you'll discover several collections of art pottery and other items from the Arts and Crafts movement.

7. Pewabic Pottery Museum and Education Center - Detroit, Michigan

If you're looking for a piece of living history, Pewabic is the perfect vacation activity for you.  This Arts and Crafts era pottery is now a non-profit museum and education center that was recently recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a "Historic Artists' Homes & Studios" site.

Please let us other great art pottery exhibits and museums that should be added to this list.

Just Art Pottery

Iowa Art Pottery Association

Our good friends from the Iowa Art Pottery Association have recently updated their website.  The Iowa Art Pottery Association (IAPA) is dedicated to the education, preservation, appreciation and acquisition of all ceramics both past and present.  IAPA began in August, 1999 when seventeen interested pottery collectors met to discuss the idea of a pottery club. The Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the aesthetic appreciation of art pottery.

Meetings are held in Wilton, Iowa which is geographically central to the Association's growing membership of pottery collectors. Members are encouraged to bring a favorite piece of pottery to the meetings for "show and tell". With education as a central focus of the IAPA, programs are presented by speakers who have in-depth knowledge about a particular pottery company or subject.  The Association also produces a quarterly newsletters which feature art pottery articles, insights and event updates.

Upcoming meetings will include discussions on the following topics: 

• August 3, 2008 - Art Pottery Dealer Signs and Advertising Pieces by Dave Johnson
• October 5, 2008 - Ephraim Pottery sponsored by Mark Latta

The Iowa Art Pottery Association welcomes new members who wish to learn about and engage in the enjoyment of art pottery. I can tell you from first hand experience there are some very knowledgeable pottery collectors (including a couple who really helped us when we were just getting started in the business!) involved in IAPA and if you ever have an opportunity to attend a meeting you will not only increase your knowledge of American art pottery but find great fun, fellowship and food!  I hear they have a GREAT potluck after each meeting.

Look here for more information on the Iowa Art Pottery Association.

Greg Myroth - Just Art Pottery

Just Art Pottery Site Upgrade

Most of you have probably already seen our recent site upgrade of justartpottery.com. For those of you who haven't visited us recently we invite you to check out our new design.  Below is a screen shot of the new site.  We hope you find the new design cleaner, more visually appealing and better organized.

 

  For comparison purposes, below is a snapshot of the old site. 

Now that this project is finally out of the way, I am hoping to begin resuming regular blog posts. 

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future site improvements.

Greg Myroth - Just Art Pottery