The Michiana Potters

Art, Community, and Collaboration in the Midwest

Meredith A. E. McGriff

• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9780253049643
  9780253049643
• eBook ISBN:
  9780253049667
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Decorative Arts
• Index: Social Sciences

A new pottery tradition has been developing along the border of northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Despite the fact that this region is not yet an established destination for pottery collectors, Michiana potters are committed to pursuing their craft thanks to the presence of a community of like-minded artists. The Michiana Potters, an ethnographic exploration of the lives and art of these potters, examines the communal traditions and aesthetics that have developed in this region. Author Meredith A. E. McGriff identifies several shared methods and styles, such as a preference for wood-fired wares, glossy glaze surfaces, cooler colors, the dripping or layering of glazes on ceramics that are not wood-fired, the handcrafting of useful wares as opposed to sculptural work, and a tendency to borrow forms and decorative effects from other regional artists. In addition to demonstrating a methodology that can be applied to studies of other emergent regional traditions, McGriff concludes that these styles and methods form a communal bond that inextricably links the processes of creating and sharing pottery in Michiana.

Table of contents

• Cover
• The MICHIANA POTTERS
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• CONTENTS
• • Acknowledgments
• 1 Michiana Connections: An Introduction
• 2 Education, Identity, and Vocational Habitus
• 3 The Collaborative Process of Wood Firing and The Michiana Aesthetic
• 4 Collection Practices: Maintaining the Aesthetic
• 5 More Than Pottery in Michiana; More Than Michiana in Pottery
• 6 The Potter’s Work: Conclusions
• Epilogue: Constant Change
• • Appendix I: Michiana Pottery Tour Maps
• • Appendix II: Apprentices, Assistants, and/or Interns
• • Works Cited
• • Index