The Pewabic Pottery

At the height of America's Arts and Crafts movement, Detroit neighbors Horace J. Caulkins and Mary Chase Perry pooled their talents together to found Pewabic Pottery. With modest beginnings in 1903, Pewabic transformed from a rented stable in Brush Park to an English Tudor building on East Jefferson Avenue, where it has operated since 1907. Today, the iconic enterprise continues Perry's dedication to handcrafted ceramics and remains known for its iridescent glaze on everything from vessels and architectural tiles to ecclesiastical installations in churches across the country, including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Author Cara Catallo illuminates the story behind one of the oldest American handcrafted pottery traditions.

"This book presents a comprehensive history of Pewabic Pottery in Detroit, Michigan, its founders, and its place in the Arts and Crafts movement"--

Mary Chase Perry Stratton and Horace J. Caulkins founded Detroit’s Pewabic Pottery in 1903 during the height of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Now celebrating its centennial, Pewabic is one of the few historic art potteries still operating in the United States. The pottery remains an integral part of artistic life in the Detroit area; its presence in the city is underscored by such installations as the modern tile murals in Detroit’s People Mover Stations, the fairy tale friezes around fireplaces in area schools, and mosaic-tiled ceilings in museums and churches. Fired Magic is the story of a child discovering the beauty of Pewabic tile installations in the metropolitan Detroit area. Readers accompany the main character Angie on a tour of architecturally significant historic and contemporary tiled floors, ceilings, fountains, fireplaces, and other tile installations that grace the city and its environs—such as Belle Isle Park, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook Educational Community, and the Detroit Zoo. Readers also join Angie in taking a class at Pewabic Pottery, where she learns to make tiles and other clay objects. The book provides a glossary of ceramic terms and a comprehensive list of Pewabic installations around the United States so that readers may discover the beauty of Pewabic tile for themselves. This is the second in a series of books celebrating the cultural heritage of Detroit and the Great Lakes. Like the first in the series, The Outdoor Museum: The Magic of Michigan’s Marshall M. Fredericks (Wayne State University Press, 2001), this book is written for students from age 8 and above; however, it is enjoyable for art lovers of all ages. Through its inviting tale and rich illustrations, Fired Magic relates the history of Pewabic Pottery from its beginnings in the Arts and Crafts Movement and furthers the pottery’s present-day mission to support, educate, and foster appreciation for ceramic art.

An energetic young girl leads you on an engaging tour of public Pewabic Pottery installations throughout metropolitan Detroit in this lushly illustrated tale that celebrates one of the nation's few still-functioning Arts-and-Crafts era art potteries. Mary Chase Perry Stratton and Horace J. Caulkins founded Detroit's Pewabic Pottery in 1903 during the height of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Now celebrating its centennial, Pewabic is one of the few historic art potteries still operating in the United States. The pottery remains an integral part of artistic life in the Detroit area; its presence in the city is underscored by such installations as the modern tile murals in Detroit's People Mover Stations, the fairy tale friezes around fireplaces in area schools, and mosaic-tiled ceilings in museums and churches. Fired Magic is the story of a child discovering the beauty of Pewabic tile installations in the metropolitan Detroit area. Readers accompany the main character Angie on a tour of architecturally significant historic and contemporary tiled floors, ceilings, fountains, fireplaces, and other tile installations that grace the city and its environs--such as Belle Isle Park, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook Educational Community, Comerica Park, and the Detroit Zoo. Readers also join Angie in taking a class at Pewabic Pottery, where she learns to make tiles and other clay objects. The book provides a glossary of ceramic terms and a comprehensive list of Pewabic installations around the United States so that readers may discover the beauty of Pewabic tile for themselves. This is the second in a series of children's books celebrating the cultural heritage of Detroit and the GreatLakes. Like the first in the series, The Outdoor Museum: The Magic of Michigan's Marshall M. Fredericks (Wayne State University Press, 2001), this book is written for students age 8 and above; however, it is enjoyable for art lovers of all ages. Through its inviting tale and rich illustrations, Fired Magic relates the history of Pewabic Pottery from its beginnings in the Arts and Crafts Movement and furthers the pottery's present-day mission to support, educate, and foster appreciation for ceramic art.