The Ceramic Series tour of Classic Black: The Basalt Sculpture of Wedgwood and His Contemporaries
Socrates circa 1775–1780
Stoneware (black basalt)
The Mint Museum. Gift of the Starr and Wolfe Families in memory of Lydia and Bernard Starr. 2018.68.2
Brian Gallagher will lead Delhom Service League members on a tour of the Mint’s new exhibition Classic Black: The Basalt Sculpture of Wedgwood and His Contemporaries. Read More
“You broke the Buddha, now what?” with Lydia Thompson
Metaphorically speaking the buddha is viewed as a spiritual and historical vessel. Once the piece breaks the inquiry begins… should the piece be repaired, should we throw it away or has it earned its place for further examination? The shard serves as a clue to the past and a moment to explore the culture. Thompson’s presentation will discuss how her ideas, techniques and ethnic influences are woven into her creative process. Her experiences continue to widen her lens about how she defines landscape, overcomes obstacles and maximizes her artistic practice. She has an endless love for ceramics which offers so many techniques for experimentation that capture the human interaction with the world.
Lydia Thompson is currently the Chair of the Department of Art and Art History at UNC Charlotte and is a recent board member for Clayworks in Charlotte, NC. Thompson, a native of Columbus, Ohio, received her Bachelor of Fine Art degree from The Ohio State University and her master of fine art degree from the New York College of Ceramics at Alfred University.
January 22, 2020
6:00 PM Wine Reception
6:30 PM Lecture
Mint Museum Randolph
FREE
The Ceramics Series by Delhom Service League, the Ceramics Affiliate of The Mint Museum.
presents “You broke the Buddha, now what?” with Lydia Thompson. This program is offered in collaboration with The Guild of Charlotte Artists.
View the Ceramics Series brochure to see a calendar of programs and the story of Delhom Service League.
Delhom Service League loves all things ceramic – from ancient to contemporary. For membership information contact Pat Viser, pviser@carolina.rr.com.
This event is located at 
Mint Museum Randolph
The first exhibition focused exclusively on black basalt sculpture to open on Feb. 9 at The Mint Museum with striking, contemporary presentation
Charlotte, NC (January 9, 2020): The Mint Museum is pleased to announce its upcoming presentation of Classic Black: The Basalt Sculpture of Wedgwood and His Contemporaries, opening February 9, 2020 at Mint Museum Randolph.
The exhibition will feature more than 100 works of art on loan from across the U.S., as well as England, and will focus exclusively on black basalt sculpture—the first show of its kind to do so. Classic Black will showcase works ranging from life-size portrait busts to fanciful vases, dynamic statues of mythological heroes to portrait medallions in low relief.
The exhibition features loans from major museums in the United States and England such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Birmingham Museum of Art, as well as important, one-of-a-kind objects from notable private collections in America, some of which are making their public debut.
One noteworthy aspect of the show is its presentation: a completely groundbreaking, contemporary treatment. With the help of the prominent Charlotte muralist and street artist known as “Owl,” each of the exhibition rooms will feature a specially commissioned graphic mural in striking, sunset hues. The bright colors and graphic patterns will challenge visitors’ expectations and enliven the historical pieces, making them more relevant to the modern viewer. And while completely unconventional, the design aesthetic nevertheless recalls 18th-century architecture and interior design, reinterpreting it for the modern-day audience.
And it’s a presentation that Wedgwood himself — as a master marketer of luxury, with an eye for presentation — would likely approve of, says Brian Gallagher, Curator of Decorative Arts at The Mint Museum. “Wedgwood would have never wanted his works to sit on a putty-colored pedestal, against a putty-colored wall,” says Gallagher.
Classic Black is also the Mint’s first exhibition dedicated completely to sculpture. And because the museum is known for its British ceramics collection, it’s appropriate that its first sculpture show draws from an aspect of that collection.
“Classic Black and its remarkable presentation will break every mold,” says The Mint Museum’s President and CEO Todd A. Herman, PhD. “And we believe it will attract longtime Wedgwood enthusiasts as well as a new audience keen on seeing the marriage of 18th-century pieces with 21st-century mural art.”
About one-third of the works on view in Classic Blackare based directly on marble and bronze sculptures from the classical world. Other objects in the exhibition derive from works of art created in later centuries by some of the great figures in European art history, including Michelangelo and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, published by D. Giles Limited, London, which will include extended object entries and introductory essays contributed by Robin Emmerson, Gaye Blake-Roberts, Nancy Ramage, and MG Sullivan.
The exhibition was made possible with generous support from presenting sponsor Wells Fargo Private Bank.
“This is not your grandmother’s Wedgwood,” says Jay Everette, Officer of the Wells Fargo Foundation. “Wells Fargo’s Foundation decided to serve as presenting sponsor of the exhibition as part of its focus on arts, history, culture and heritage community grants. We were intrigued by the compelling contrast of past and present. We hope it allows viewers to see Wedgwood’s story, works and legacy in a different light.”
Additional support was provided by Moore & Van Allen and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The Exhibition catalogue was fully funded by the Delhom Service League and an anonymous patron.
About The Mint Museum
Established in 1936 as North Carolina’s first art museum, The Mint Museum is a leading, innovative cultural institution and museum of international art and design. With two locations—Mint Museum Randolph in the heart of Eastover and Mint Museum Uptown on South Tryon Street—the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.
Light Falling on Grass – presented by Wayne Higby of Alfred University
Courtesy of the Artist, Wayne Higby.
Light Falling on Grass presented by Wayne Higby of Alfred University.
The Ceramics Series, with Delhom Service League, Ceramics Affiliate.
Wayne Higby will present an autobiographical reflection with images that mark career highlights representing a half century of work as a ceramic artist. The talk will include personal philosophy and concepts as well as a report on the new Alfred Ceramic Art Museum.
Mr. Higby is a Ceramic Artist, Professor of Ceramic Art, The Wayne Higby Director and Chief Curator, Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred University.
November 13, 2019
6:00 PM social | 6:30 PM talk
Mint Museum Randolph
FREE
This event is located at Mint Museum Randolph
Fall Day Trip to Penland School of Craft -Delhom Service League
All Mint members are invited!Please join the Delhom Service League on a fall day trip to Penland School of Craft, a national center for craft education located in North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. You may bring a guest, too. Transportation will be by bus.We’ll have a private tour of the galleries and student workshops, and will visit resident artists’ studios. Lunch will be in the Penland dining hall. Also planned are a visit to The Barns on the school grounds and a visit with Cynthia and Edwina Bringle at their campus gallery.
Register by October 4. Space is limited.
Click here for trip details and registration forms.
Click here for more information about The Ceramics Series and Delhom Service League, Ceramics Affiliate of the Mint Museum
CANCELED – The Ceramics Series – “The History of Salt Firing” with Kira Campbell
NOTE: This event has been canceled
Delhom Service League welcomes Kira Campbell, ceramic artist and instructor, who will give a brief history of salt firing. Salt firing is a process where unglazed ware is fired to high temperatures and salt is introduced into the kiln chamber to achieve a characteristic ‘orange peel’ glazed surface.
Kira has an undergraduate degree in theater and her MFA in ceramics from the University of Michigan, where she studied under Georgette Zirbes and Sadashi Inuzuka. She has been working in clay for over twenty years, and has experience ranging from production pottery to university instruction to large-scale installation art. Kira has participated in residencies in Denmark, Hungary and Ireland and has work in several international museums. While her exhibited work is all sculptural, she enjoys exploring the vessel in all its forms whenever possible. She is currently an instructor at Clayworks in Charlotte.
(there will not be a reception before this program, so it will begin promptly at 10:00 AM)
This event is located at Mint Museum Randolph
The Ceramics Series – “Folk Art Ceramics-Catawba Valley Pottery” with Dr. Allen Huffman
The Delhom Service League presents Dr. Allen Huffman who will speak about historic Catawba Valley alkaline-glazed stoneware. Read More
The Ceramics Series – Delhom Service League: “Making a Big Intricate Ceramic Platter”, Film and Talk with Herb Cohen
Herb Cohen will share his expertise and vast experience as a master ceramic artist as you view a film he made while creating a large platter.
Herb earned a BFA and MFA from Alfred University. Between his degrees he served in the US Army during the Korean war.
In 1956 he came to North Carolina where he was employed as an industrial ceramic designer for Hyalyn Porcelain Co. in Hickory and then came to work for the Mint Museum as exhibition director from 1958 to 1972. During those years he twice served as interim director.
He and his husband, José Fumero a fabric designer and painter, set up their studios in Blowing Rock where they created their work for 38 years. Herb’s work as a potter included functional stoneware, decorative unique pots, and sculpture.
He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In 2012 the Mint Museum featured a solo exhibition, “Sophisticated Surfaces: The Pottery of Herb Cohen”. Learn more about Herb and his work in the brochure for this exhibition http://bit.ly/Herb_Cohen_Sophisticated_Surfaces
This event is located at 
Mint Museum Randolph
Potters Market at The Mint Museum to return in 2020
Potters Market at The Mint Museum to return in 2020
Charlotte, N.C. (March 8, 2019) After much thought and deliberation, the Delhom Service League of the Mint Museum has decided to postpone its signature event, the Potters Market, until 2020, when the festival will be reimagined to be bigger and more robust than ever.
“We want to re-do it, reinvent it,” says Phil Sciabarrasi, president of the Delhom Service League, the ceramics affiliate of The Mint Museum, which promotes ceramic arts and education. “We want to spend time revisiting all aspects of the Potters Market to help us produce an experience that that will continue to grow and highlight North Carolina ceramics, while also delighting potters and attendees.”
One of the major changes in store: Rather than continue as an invitational, the 2020 Potters Market will be a juried show, a move that will bring even more diversity to the beloved affair.
The event will also coincide with the 10th anniversary of the opening of Mint Museum Uptown. “This will be a very celebratory year for the museum, and our intention is to make the 2020 Potters Market a large part of that celebration,” says Sciabarrasi.
Started in 2004, the annual Potters Market is beloved by ceramics collectors and pottery fans alike for the opportunity it provides to get to know dozens of the state’s best potters and shop the latest works in the rich tradition of North Carolina pottery. Wares range from mugs, teapots and jars to oversized pots, contemporary art pottery and sculptures.
Funds raised by the festival help support acquisitions to The Mint Museum’s ceramics collection and help to promote interest in ceramic arts. Delhom Service League hosts many public programs and hands on experiences throughout the year using these funds, relating to all types of ceramics, from ancient to contemporary. As the group works to reimagine the Potters Market, they hope enthusiasts will continue to engage with ceramics and clay by taking advantage of these programs.
“Delhom Service League is thankful for the corporate sponsors, individual sponsors, and attendees who have been so supportive over the years, and for the exceptional potters who have brought their best work to sell,” says Sciabarrasi. “Potters Market has grown into one of the most important ceramics event in the state, and we want to return in 2020 with an enhanced experience worthy of their continued support in our exciting new chapter.”
For questions, email delhomserviceleague@gmail.com.
About Delhom Service League
The Delhom Service League was founded by M. Mellany Delhom as an affiliate organization of The Mint Museum in 1975. The group—credited with boosting interest and funding for The Mint Museum’s vast ceramics collection—is comprised of a diverse group of artists, teachers, corporate leaders, writers, librarians, doctors, and collectors. Over the last 40 years the focus of the group has expanded, but the mission of the group is the same: to promote ceramic arts and education. Today the league presents nationally and internationally known speakers, and supports the Delhom-Gambrell Reference Library for the decorative arts. It has funded the acquisition of numerous objects for the Mint’s ceramics collection.
Find Delhom Service League on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. See the Delhom Service League rack brochure with calendar.
The Ceramics Series – “New Discoveries in the History of American Porcelain”, with Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen
Delhom Service League presents this lecture with Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Anthony W. and Lulu C. Wang Curator of American Decorative Arts.
Porcelain has captured the imagination of many, and it has challenged American entrepreneurial potters from colonial times. This lecture will focus on three pivotal moments in the history of porcelain-making in America. It will begin with the 18th century, and America’s very first attempts at making porcelain, highlighted by an exciting new acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum. The second moment dates to the mid 19th century when the American porcelain dinnerware industry was launched. The lecture will close with the very early years of the 20th century, highlighting in particular the work of Adelaide Alsop Robineau, arguably America’s finest ceramist of that century.
Ms. Frelinghuysen has curated, published, and lectured widely on the subject of American ceramics, glass, stained glass, and late nineteenth-century furniture, as well as all aspects of the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany. She recently spearheaded and co-authored American Art Pottery: The Robert A. Ellison Jr. Collection (with Martin Eidelberg and Adrienne Spinozzi, 2018), which celebrates the extraordinary gift by Robert Ellison of American Art Pottery to The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Preceding the lecture at 6 PM, refreshments will be served beginning at 5:30 PM.
