“A Face Only a Mother Could Love” Face Jug Pottery from the American South - Love Little Gallery

June 19 - August 17, 2008

Face Jugs are a unique pottery found in the American South.  The origin of face jugs is not know for certain but has its roots in the African American slave community.  Some of the earliest examples are credited to “Dave the Slave”, who produced pottery from the 1820's to the 1860's in the Edgefield, SC area.  Folk history holds that when someone in the slave community died, the jugs were modeled with devil faces and placed on the grave for a year.  If the jug broke it was thought to be a sign that the soul of the deceased was wrestling with the devil.  A second theory is that the scary faces were applied to jugs containing moonshine to keep children away from the contents.  
Face jugs are still a widely collected form of pottery and are growing in popularity due to influential works by the legendary Lanier Meaders (White County, GA 1917 - 1998) who was descended from a family history of potters.  Other artists included in the exhibition are:  Steve Abee, Lenoir, NC; John Rezner, Fairhope, AL; Jerry Brown, Hamilton, AL; Craig McMillin, Folsom, LA; Francie Rich and John Hodge, Covington, LA; Josh Boock, Cass Lake, MN; and Jim McDowell, Pittsburg, PA.

The Anderson Women
May 22 - September 7, 2008

Annette “Mère” McConnell Anderson wrote these words upon her graduation in 1900 from Newcomb College. This exhibition spans four generations of artistic expression by Anderson women. Oil pastels and paintings by “Mère” are shown together with contemporary castings of some of her ceramic pieces. Fine pottery and decorated pieces by granddaughters Patricia Anderson Findeisen and Adele Anderson Lawton will be on view with watercolor paintings and ink drawings by granddaughters Mary Anderson Pickard and Leif Anderson. Also shown are screenprints from Walter Anderson's linoleum blocks by Carolyn Fournier, wife of grandson Billy. Great-granddaughter Mary Annette Muneoka is carrying on the artistictradition with crayon drawing, sharing her grandfather Walter's interest in using a medium not typically utilized by artists.