Jim McDowell (ceramic artist) facts for kids
Jim McDowell, born on September 25, 1945, is a talented artist who creates pottery. He lives in Weaverville, North Carolina. He is especially known for making unique face jugs and other useful pottery items.
About Jim McDowell
Jim McDowell was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He grew up in Washington, D.C. His father, James T. McDowell, was in the Navy and enjoyed painting as a hobby.
Jim learned about his family's history in pottery from his father and grandfather. They told him about his four-times Great Aunt Evangeline. She was an enslaved potter in Jamaica who made face jugs. In the past, enslaved people were not given gravestones. Sometimes, a face jug was made to mark a grave instead. This was a way to remember and honor them.
Before becoming a full-time artist, Jim worked in a coal mine in Pennsylvania. Later, he joined the United States Army. After his time in the Army, he went back to working in the mines. One day, he used an entire paycheck to buy a pottery wheel and a lot of clay. This was the start of his journey as a potter.
How Jim Learned Pottery
Jim McDowell studied art at Mount Aloysius College. He also took sculpture classes at Virginia Commonwealth University. But for the most part, he taught himself how to be a potter.
When he was in the Army in Germany in the 1960s, he had a part-time job at the base craft shop. This shop had a pottery wheel. No one at the base could teach him, so Jim found a group of German potters in Nuremberg. Even though he spoke little German, he explained that he wanted to learn.
At first, they said no. But Jim kept trying. They gave him a broom, and he swept the floor every Saturday for a few weeks. Finally, one of the German potters taught him some basic skills on the wheel. Later, he joined a workshop with potter David Robinson. He also learned from other skilled ceramic artists like Jack Troy and Charles Counts.
Jim McDowell's Art
Jim McDowell's face jugs are a special way to honor David Drake. David Drake was an enslaved potter from South Carolina. He lived a long time ago. Jim honors David Drake's memory by writing on his own pottery.
Jim sometimes calls himself "the Black potter." He explains that his art helps to bring back the stories and hard work of African people and Black Americans. His work celebrates their history and contributions.
