Pewabic Pottery Virtual Tour

EVENTS > VIRTUAL PROGRAMS

Experience the wonder and artistry of Pewabic Pottery, an influential ceramics studio with tiles and vessels on display throughout the American midwest and beyond. Located on the outskirts of Detroit, their exquisite tilework can be admired in buildings throughout the city and region, including the Guardian Building, the Charles Lang Freer House, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook’s Christ Church and Kingswood School, and numerous other prominent public and private sites. In this tour, Steve McBride, Pewabic Pottery’s Executive Director, illuminates the storied history of one of the oldest continually operating ceramics facilities in the country. Founded in 1903 by artist and educator Mary Chase Perry (Stratton) and dental supplier and kiln manufacturer Horace J. Caulkins, Pewabic became a leader of the Arts and Crafts Movement in Detroit during a time that was both a golden age for handcrafted ceramics and a boom in industrialization. Production moved from a humble studio in a stable to a building designed by architect William Buck Stratton in 1907, which still serves as Pewabic’s headquarters. The tour moves from the exterior of this charming structure into Pewabic’s galleries, featuring objects coated with stunning iridescent glazes, a hallmark of the pottery. The tile gallery is sure to impress, as the quality and color selection are breathtaking. A sample tiled fireplace gives a glimpse into design elements used in magnificent homes throughout the country. We continue to the bustling production kiln and clay-mixing rooms and the lively tile studio, where artisans busily shape, sand, saw, cut, carve, and craft projects for clients around the globe. We know you will enjoy this look into the public-facing spaces and behind-the-scenes studios of Pewabic Pottery! 

Registration Fee: Pay What You Can

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Learn more about our Pewabic Pottery visit during our Summer 2023 Detroit Sojourn in this Bulletin post.

Read more about Pewabic Pottery in this article from The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust.