The pottery was founded in 1903 by the artist and teacherMary Chase Perry Stratton and her business partnerHorace James Caulkins.[3] Caulkins was considered a high-heat andkiln specialist and developed the "Revelation kiln". Mary Chase Perry Stratton was "the artistic and marketing force."[4] The collaboration of the two and their blend of art and technology gave the pottery its distinctive qualities as Detroit's contribution to the InternationalArts and Crafts movement and exemplified theAmerican Craftsman Style.[5]
The word Pewabic is derived from theOjibwa (orChippewa) word "wabic", which means metal, or "bewabic", which means iron or steel. Stratton's father had worked as a doctor for the Pewabic copper mine in Michigan'sUpper Peninsula when she was a girl. The company is well known for the unusual iridescent glaze covering the pottery and tiles created in a manner outlined by the InternationalArts and Crafts movement.[6][7][8]
The museum's exhibits focus on the company's role in the history of Detroit, theArts and Crafts movement in America and the development of ceramic art in the country. The galleries also showcase new works by modern ceramic artists.
Under Mary Stratton's artistic leadership, Pewabic Pottery employees created lamps, vessels, and architectural tiles. Architectural pieces have been a staple in Pewabic's history. They were known for theiriridescent glazes. Architectural tiles were used in churches, concert halls, fountains, libraries, museums, schools and public buildings. The studio's work graces numerous edifices throughout Michigan and the rest of the United States. Noteworthy examples include Herzstein Hall atRice University inHouston, Texas,[11][12] and theShedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois.[9] Detailed maps of public installations in the Detroit Metropolitan Area and the U.S.A. are available.[13]
Particularly notable was the company's work at theBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., consisting of arches outlined with iridescent Pewabic tile, huge ceramic medallions set in the ceiling, and fourteen Stations of the Cross for the crypt.[6]
Pewabic's design team continues to create ornate tile conceptions for public and private buildings. Contemporary installations includeComerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Medical Center Children's Hospital, five Detroit People Mover stations, Third Man Records (Detroit), stations for the Q-Line, and theHerald Square in New York City.
Pewabic Pottery in 1991Pewabic fireplace in the HYPE Teen Center (formerly the Children's Room) inside theDetroit Public Library
Pewabic tile was (and continues to be) in great demand in Detroit and the southeastern Michigan area for the use in buildings and it can be found in many of the area's finest structures.[14] These include:
^"Pewabic Pottery".National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived fromthe original on October 6, 2012. RetrievedJune 27, 2008.
Barrie, Dennis; Jeanie Huntley Bentley; Cynthia Newman Helms; Mary Chris Rospond,Artists in Michigan: 1900-1976. (Wayne State University Press, Detroit 1989).ISBN0-8143-1907-6.
Brunk, Thomas W. "Ceramics in Michigan, 1886-1906" inThe Arts and Crafts Movement in Michigan: 1886-1906. (Detroit, The Pewabic Society, Inc., 1986).ISBN0-937885-00-2
Brunk, Colby, Jacobs et al.,Arts and Crafts in Detroit 1906–1976: The Movement, The Society, The School. (Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit MI 1976).
Brunk, Thomas W., with Introduction by Marilyn L. Wheaton,Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum Exhibition Catalog, June 1 through September 29, 2007, Essay on Pewabic Pottery.[1][2]
Colby, Joy Hakanson,Art and a City: A History of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts. (Wayne State University Press, Detroit MI, 1956).ISBN0-686-87987-2.
Fisher, Marcy Heller and illustrated by Marjorie Hecht Simon,Fired Magic: Detroit's Pewabic Pottery Treasure. (Wayne State University Press, 2003).ISBN0-8143-3143-2.
Gibson, Arthur Hopkin,Artists of Early Michigan: A Biographical Dictionary of Artists Native to or Active in Michigan, 1701-1900. Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 1975.ISBN0-8143-1528-3.
Hill, Eric J., and John Gallagher,AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Architecture in Detroit. (Wayne State University Press, Detroit, MI 2003).ISBN0-8143-3120-3.
Karlson, Norman,The Encyclopedia of American Art Tiles, Volume 2, Region 3: Midwestern States. (Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2005).ISBN0-7643-2231-1ISBN978-0764322310.
Pear, Lillian Myers,The Pewabic Pottery: A History of its Products and its People. (Des Moines, Iowa, Wallace-Homestead: 1976).ISBN0-87069-158-9.
Rago, David, Suzanne Sliker, and David Rudd,The Arts & Crafts Collector's Guide. (Salt Lake City, Utah, Gibbs Smith, 2005).ISBN1-58685-052-0.
Savage, Rebecca Binno and Greg Kowalski.Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America). (Arcadia, 2004).ISBN0-7385-3228-2.
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