Couple turns art of pottery on its head

Couple turns art of pottery on its head Lancaster County natives getting noticed by collectors Marvin and Lynn Bailey are potters who believe that traditional-style pottery can sometimes be a crock.

They prefer impish ogres with devil horns and wide-eyed farmers in overalls riding gators to adorn their unique art form of face jugs and free-form sculpture.

The two Lancaster County natives are capable of making most any kind of pot at their home-fired kiln -- he specializes in jugs, vases and bowls and she "does the critters," small ceramic possums and birds. But it's the face jugs with their phantasmagoric expressions that are gathering attention from serious collectors across the Southeast.

"Marvin is an up-and-coming, self-taught potter who is attracting collectors wherever he shows his works," said Philip Wingard, a Clover collector who has specialized in Southern pottery for more than 27 years.

Peeler Pottery Event at Putnam County Museum Saturday

June 22, 2007, Greencastle, Ind. - "The Putnam County Museum invites people who have collected Peeler pottery over the years to bring in examples to share with the community," notes the Terre Haute Tribune-Star in previewing a Saturday event. A 1949 graduate of DePauw, Richard E. Peeler was a member of the University's faculty for fourteen years and the Art Center is named in his honor. Tomorrow, from 1 to 3 p.m., "collectors can bring in Peeler pots, bowls, plates, sculptures, birdhouses, and more to be photographed. The museum also will accept photographs of collections ... These photographs will be displayed as part of the 'Richard & Marj Peeler: A Retrospective' exhibit through Sept. 29."

“This might be the first step in producing a photographic collection of Peeler works,” Warren Macy, museum vice president and organizer of the event, tells the newspaper.

Art in the park

YOUNG skaters and artists turned out in force at South Molton skate park to get creative on Saturday. The "Paint da Park Graffiti Jam" gave almost 50 young people the chance to work with professional artists to transform the facility at Central Park with bright, vibrant and visually stunning artwork.Organised by Devon Youth Service, Safer North Devon, MA2K and local skate shop Beats Workin', the all-day event featured a series of spray painting workshops where youngsters could practice their skills on boards donated by timer merchant Jewsons, before transferring them to the ramps and surrounding buildings under the guidance of professionals."The primary aim of the event was to cover up the offensive and unpleasant graffiti that had developed on the park and surrounding public buildings during recent months," police architectural liaison officer John Knowles, told the Gazette."Getting young people involved with professional graffiti artists that they look up to will hopefully encourage them to have some pride in their own environment and take responsibility for it."The street art is quite startling and visually pleasing," he added."It is in quite an isolated area used by young people so hopefully they will look after and respect it.

Pottery artist Clarence Cruz puts an emphasis on regeneration

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The materials of pottery are ancient, of the earth itself, and they were the subject of an ''Emergence'' exhibit in April at the University of New Mexico. Almost as ancient are comparisons of the potter's shaping art to character building and soul craft.

Clarence Cruz, who received his Master of Fine Arts in studio arts with a minor in museum studies from UNM in May following the April MFA exhibit, is committed to all the facets of his art. His ''Emergence'' installation emphasized the materials of traditional Tewa pottery, which he believes form a bond between land and people; pottery is a partial but highly important expression of that bond.

''The medium of clay allows me to express a sense of connection to the earth,'' he said, in a personal statement accompanying the ''Emergence'' exhibit.