Preservation Assessment, Storage Furniture, and Staff Training to Preserve Ceramics Collections

FAIN: PG-51605-12

Pewabic Pottery (Detroit, MI 48214-3138)
Gerri Kelley (Project Director: May 2011 to December 2013)

Hiring a consultant to undertake a preservation assessment, make recommendations for treatment priorities, and develop a plan to improve storage of a collection of 20 large ceramic architectural objects. Pewabic Pottery, a historic pottery located in Detroit, was founded in 1903 by Arts and Crafts style potter, Mary Chase Perry Stratton, who was known for her iridescent glazes. The collection includes mosaics, tile panels, fragments of ceramic installations and, notably, an architectural maquette from one of Stratton's early public art projects--the Scott Fountain, dating to 1909 and located in Detroit's Belle Isle park. The consultant would also train staff in the care and handling of the collection.

Pewabic Pottery recognizes the importance of preserving its historic humanities collections, and requests funding to support an assessment that will focus on the preservation and conservation needs of a portion of these collections (20 large, heavy ceramic architectural pieces), the development of detailed plans for improving storage of these artifacts, and the training of staff in their care and handling. The overall goal of this project is to a) Improve Pewabic’s ability to preserve and care for its collections, including these architectural ceramic pieces, for future generations of U.S. visitors and humanities scholars; and b) Utilize these ceramic pieces in exhibitions. Formal evaluation of these artifacts is key to Pewabic developing a conservation plan for their care. Currently, 40,000 annual general public visitors view exhibitions based on Pewabic’s humanities collections.