Beautiful forms and compositions are not made by chance, nor can they ever, in any material, be made at small expense.” ~Josiah Wedgwood
Tomorrow begins my art fair season with a ceramics and pottery fair at Ruthmere Museum in Elkhart, Indiana. Ruthmere is a glorious experience in history, art and architecture. In 1910, Elkhart, Indiana, was a town of 21,365 residents that covered six square miles. It had ten public schools, the telephone had arrived, and the automobile age had begun. Albert R. and Elizabeth Baldwin Beardsley commissioned Chicago-trained architect E. Hill Turnock to design and build Ruthmere in 1908.
For 14 years, Ruthmere was a place where they entertained friends and business associates in grand style. Elizabeth and Albert both died within a few short months of each other in 1924. Albert's nephew, Arthur Beardsley and his wife Stella lived at Ruthmere until Stella's death in 1940 and Arthur's death in 1944.
The Sherill and Helen Deputy family moved into Ruthmere in 1945, raising six boys in the house--the first and only children to ever call Ruthmere home. In 1969, the Deputys sold Ruthmere to the Beardsley Foundation, which restored the home to its former glory, with the express purpose of creating a museum for the community and the region.
Albert's great-great nephew, Robert Buchanan Beardsley, an architectural preservationist, supervised the restoration, which began in 1969. The site opened to the public in 1973 with Robert Beardsley as Director, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Today, Ruthmere is a multifaceted cultural and historical museum home, offering visitors a glimpse into the lives of a wealthy, innovative man and his engaging wife, as well as rich exposure to architecture and art.
In addition to offering regular tours, Ruthmere hosts numerous special events, including concerts, garden parties and special exhibits, as well as weddings and other private affairs.
Tomorrow, along with the ceramic and pottery fair, there will be coffee on the piazza, and the opening special exhibit, Beyond Wedgwood Blue at the Havilah Beardsley House.
Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) built a pottery empire in Staffordshire, England that, to this day, remains at the forefront of the global ceramics industry. When we hear the name “Wedgwood” we tend to think of that innovative pale blue Jasperware that has defined the company for over 250 years. But Wedgwood is so much more! In this original Ruthmere Museum special exhibit Beyond Wedgwood Blue we have assembled a stunning collection of Wedgwood ceramics from around the world representing a wide variety of styles, shapes, and uses. Of course, visitors will still see many fine examples of Jasperware that made Wedgwood famous, but one will also encounter rare pieces of black basalt statuary, drab gray stoneware, multi-color majolica, Queen-approved creamware, unglazed buff caneware, and iridescent lustreware from the famous designer Daisy Makeig-Jones. Some pieces are strictly ornamental such as vases, plaques, busts, and tablets made to sit on mantels and impress guests. Others, like teapots, plates, clocks, candlesticks, and jewelry, had a specific function, enhanced and embellished by Wedgwood artisans.
American history and Wedgwood history are finely interwoven, as evidenced by Josiah Wedgwood's interests in the American Revolution and the Western anti-slavery movement. From the beginning, Wedgwood has incorporated American-specific commemorative wares into its marketing plan. Beyond Wedgwood Blue explores how American themes and national heroes made their way into Wedgwood's range of products, and in turn how American tastes influenced Wedgwood designs.
I hope you can join us in the gardens tomorrow from 10-3 for the ceramic and pottery fair, and sometime between now and September 30, at the Havilah Beardsley House on Ruthmere's Campus for Beyond Wedgwood Blue and experience ceramics as never before, and I'd encourage you to visit Ruthmere's website at https://www.ruthmere.org/ for more. Maps, Directions and Parking: https://www.ruthmere.org/Maps-Directions-and-Parking
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