19th Century Pottery Exhibit Continues

“Men of Earth: Nineteenth Century Potters of Northwest Arkansas,” an exhibition featuring rare examples of historic 19th century saltglazed pottery is currently on view at The Museum Gallery at Historic Cane Hill through Nov. 24.

The exhibition documents the life and work of 15 rural potters who once called Arkansas home. Visitors will learn about Arkansas’ rich history of pottery production, including the vital contribution of one slave to the development of the Arkansas pottery industry, the interconnectedness of Arkansas’ rural potters, and Northwest Arkansas’ links to internationally acclaimed Niloak pottery and the American Art Pottery movement.

The exhibition includes numerous pieces of pottery which have never before been seen by the public, including the only surviving vessel produced by the earliest Northwest Arkansas potter. An original section of an 1870’s ground-hog type wood-fired kiln will also be on exhibit, along with a 500-year-old Native American vessel recovered from an Ozark bluff shelter.

The exhibition is made possible by generous object loans from numerous private collectors, and from the collections of six Arkansas museums. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and by appointment. Admission is free. The Gallery is located 20 miles west of Fayetteville, at 14327 Highway 45 in Cane Hill, Ark. For more information call 479-824-5339.