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Pewabic Pottery facts for kids

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Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery Detroit MI.jpg
Location 10125 East Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, Michigan
Area less than one acre
Built 1908
Architect William B. Stratton; Baldwin, Frank D.
Architectural style Tudor Revival, Kentish Inn
NRHP reference No. 71000430
Quick facts for kids
Significant dates
Added to NRHP September 3, 1971
Designated NHL December 4, 1991

Pewabic Pottery is a famous place in Detroit, Michigan, where people make beautiful ceramic art. It's also a school where you can learn how to create pottery.

This studio started way back in 1903. It's super famous for its special shiny, colorful glazes. These glazes make the pottery look like it's glowing! You can even see Pewabic Pottery's work in important buildings like the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

Pewabic Pottery is still open and making art today. It was even named a National Historic Landmark in 1991. This means it's a very important historical place!

How Pewabic Pottery Started

Pewabic Pottery was founded in 1903. It was started by an amazing artist and teacher named Mary Chase Perry Stratton. She worked with her business partner, Horace Caulkins.

Horace Caulkins was an expert in high-heat ovens, called kilns. He even invented a special type of kiln called the "Revelation kiln." Mary Perry Stratton was the creative brains and helped share their art with the world.

Together, they mixed art and technology. This made Pewabic Pottery unique. It became Detroit's special part of the international Arts and Crafts movement. This movement was all about making beautiful, handmade items.

The name "Pewabic" comes from an Ojibwa (or Chippewa) word. "Wabic" means metal, and "bewabic" means iron or steel. It also refers to a copper mine in Michigan where Mary Stratton used to walk with her father.

What Makes Pewabic Pottery Special?

Pewabic Pottery is known for its amazing, shiny glazes. These glazes make the pottery and tiles look like they have a rainbow of colors shimmering on them. It's like looking at an oil slick, but much prettier!

In 1991, Pewabic Pottery became a National Historic Landmark. It's the only historic pottery in Michigan!

Today, Pewabic Pottery is a non-profit school. It's located in a beautiful building from 1907. This building has a special style called Tudor Revival.

At Pewabic, you can take classes to learn how to make ceramics. They also have exhibitions to show off new art. You can buy pottery made right there, or see art from other artists across the United States. They even help design and create special tiles for buildings!

Visiting Pewabic Pottery

Pewabic Pottery has a museum and galleries. The museum shows how the company helped shape the history of Detroit. It also teaches about the Arts and Crafts movement in America. You can learn about how ceramic art grew in the country.

The galleries also display new artworks by modern ceramic artists. It's a great place to see both old and new pottery.

Famous Artworks and Buildings

Pewabic Pottery creates many kinds of handmade decorative items. Their beautiful pieces are part of art collections in big museums. You can find them at the Detroit Institute of Arts and the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Mary Stratton led the artists at Pewabic Pottery. They made lamps, vases, and tiles for buildings. These architectural tiles have always been a big part of Pewabic's history.

Their glazes were known for being "iridescent." This means they shimmered with many colors, like a rainbow. These special tiles were used in churches, concert halls, and libraries. You can find them in museums, schools, and other public buildings.

Pewabic's art is in many places across Michigan and the United States. For example, you can see their work at Herzstein Hall at Rice University in Houston, Texas. The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, also has their beautiful tiles.

One very famous project was at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Pewabic made shiny tiles for the arches there. They also created huge ceramic medallions for the ceiling. Plus, they made fourteen "Stations of the Cross" for the church's lower level.

Even today, Pewabic's design team makes amazing tile designs for buildings. You can see their modern work at Comerica Park, where the Detroit Tigers play. They also made tiles for the Detroit Medical Center Children's Hospital. Other places include five Detroit People Mover stations and stations for the Q-Line.

Where to Find Pewabic Tiles

Pewabic tiles were, and still are, very popular in Detroit and the surrounding areas. You can find them in many of the finest buildings. Here are some examples:

Images for kids

  • Pewabic Pottery 1991

    Pewabic Pottery in 1991

  • Detroit Public Library July 2018 17 (Pewabic fireplace)

    Pewabic fireplace in the HYPE Teen Center inside the Detroit Public Library

  • PostcardRichmondINRichmondHighSchoolCirca1911

    Former Morton High School building, Richmond, Indiana

See also

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