Collecting Carolina: 100 Years of Jugtown Pottery
N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh
January 21 – May 29, 2017
Would you believe the concept for Jugtown came after seeing a farmer’s entry of apples displayed in a “dirt dish” at the Davidson County fair in 1915? Jacques and Juliana Busbee, both from Raleigh, had a vision inspired by that “dirt dish” that initiated an industry devoted to preserving North Carolina’s pottery traditions from 1917 until today.
On Saturday, January 21, the North Carolina Museum of History is celebrating the Busbees’ achievements with a new lobby case exhibit, Collecting Carolina: 100 Years of Jugtown Pottery. This exhibit is free to the public and will be on display through Monday, May 29, 2017.
Exhibition Details
Michael A. Ausbon, Associate Curator of Decorative Arts, was assisted by Jugtown and Stephen C. Compton in developing this case exhibit. Compton is the author of an upcoming book, Jugtown Pottery 1917–2017: A Century of Art and Craft in Clay. The selected pieces have been chosen to celebrate the evolution from utilitarian pottery to art pottery, recognized and purchased both nationally and internationally today.
Jugtown pottery is known for its distinctive clay found within the Seagrove community. This clay has been the catalyst for many wares created by potters over the four eras that comprise the history of Jugtown that includes:
BUSBEE ERA, 1917–1958. The Busbees realized that in order to expand Jugtown’s reach, they needed to adapt traditional potting techniques while blending and developing new innovations to their glazes and forms.
JOHN MARÉ ERA, 1959–1968. John Maré, concerned for Juliana Busbee’s declining health, began the process of acquiring Jugtown from her in 1959. Both Juliana and Maré died in 1962. Vernon Owens rented Jugtown Pottery in Seagrove from the Maré estate until 1968.
COUNTRY ROADS ERA, 1968–1983. Country Roads Inc., a nonprofit, purchased Jugtown Pottery from the Maré estate. The nonprofit revitalized, updated and improved the declining Jugtown Pottery while maintaining the “Jugtown aesthetic.”
OWENS FAMILY ERA, 1983–present. Vernon Owens purchased Jugtown in 1983. He and his family—wife Pam, son Travis, daughter Bayle and brother Bobby—reinterpret Jugtown wares with a renewed freshness that continues to attract collectors around the world.
Jugtown potters today continue to honor tradition and “the Busbee vision.” As exhibit curator Michael A. Ausbon has said, “Pottery speaks to each of us as a physical manifestation of the potter’s mind.” The Museum of History welcomes you to experience the handicraft of Jugtown’s potters as seen through the four distinctive eras side-by-side, each reflecting the evolution and artistic pottery that have made Jugtown a national success that has endured for 100 years!
For more information, visit ncmuseumofhistory.org/exhibits/Jugtown.
ABOUT THE N.C. MUSEUM OF HISTORY
The N.C. Museum of History is located at 5 E. Edenton Street in downtown Raleigh. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The museum collects and preserves artifacts of North Carolina history and educates the public on the history of the state and the nation through exhibits and educational programs. Each year more than 300,000 people visit the museum to see some of the 150,000 artifacts in the museum collection. The Museum of History, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
For information about the N.C. Museum of History, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org or follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or YouTube.