Art Pottery Collectors: Take Heed!
Members of the American Art Pottery Association just wrapped up their annual convention, held this year in Cleveland two weeks ago. The event involved local tours, seminars, book signings, a Friday night auction and a two-day art pottery show featuring some of the finest art pottery dealers in the country.
While plans are already underway for next spring’s convention, the AAPA doesn’t just slip away out of sight until then. Four times a year the AAPA publishes the Journal of the American Art Pottery Association, a four-color magazine which recently underwent a complete overhaul and has emerged as an even better, brighter, more attractive source of information for anyone and everyone who has even just a passing interest in art pottery.
Creative director Mark Mazzuki and managing director Linda Carrigan have spearheaded the new look of the Journal. While it has always been a great source of information for collectors of everything from Rookwood and Grueby to Roseville and McCoy, the larger format, easy-to-read typography, eye-popping photography and compelling graphic design make this a must-have, must-read magazine for all of us.
They would be the first to point out, however, that without content, graphics are meaningless. Fortunately for all of us, several association members have been willing to share their interest and research into various tile and art pottery firms through the Journal. Most recently, collector and author Richard Mohr has been writing a series of articles on Rookwood tiles, original sources and sites of which he has relentlessly been tracking down and documenting for other collectors and historians.
Also in the Spring issue, Zanesville collector Joseph Lyons shared his infatuation with little-known pottery designer Elmer McFarland, as he and his wife “were stalking what might be the Holy Grail of Zanesville Stoneware.” Dedicated McCoy collector Carol Seman (who confesses to have slid down that “slippery slope” of collecting, “when we wanted everything”) provides insight into McCoy stoneware and reveals the enthusiasm for her collection that nearly every art pottery and Arts and Crafts collector can identify with.
And on a daily basis, the association’s website, www.AAPA.info, provides collectors with resources, information, a calendar of events and a stunning array of photographs, all dedicated to the AAPA’s goal of “uniting and strengthening the voice of collectors and dealers.”
So, you know where this is headed. Everything I have described – from the convention to the Journal to the website – is done by volunteers.
Why? Because they are dedicated to art pottery and the American Art Pottery Association.
And what can you do?
Become a member.
Go to the website, wander around the various features, then become a member — and enjoy the benefits
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