Pottery exhibit extended through June

CONTACT: Gail Crutchfield, Communications and Marketing, Wallace State Community College, (256) 352-8064 or gail.crutchfield@wallacestate.edu
 
HANCEVILLE, Ala. – An exhibition of pre-1900s pottery on display at The Evelyn Burrow Museum on the campus of Wallace State Community College has been extended through the month of June.
“After many requests, the collectors have graciously allowed a one-month extension of the pottery exhibit,” said Donny Wilson, director of the Burrow Museum. “We appreciate their willingness to give visitors to the museum a glimpse of what life was like for our ancestors through the items they used on a daily basis.”
The pottery exhibit is one of the largest known exhibitions of 19th century Alabama folk pottery, and features works made in Shelby, Autauga, Elmore, Blount, Perry, Tuscaloosa, Randolph, DeKalb and Cleburne counties.
“The pottery is all from the mid-19th through the late-19th century, from a collection of nine counties that were very important to the pottery trade of that day,” Wilson said. “The high-quality clays found in those areas attracted numerous pottery-making families who moved to Alabama from South Caroline and Georgia to continue their craft.”
The exhibit has a variety of pieces that show how essential the art of pottery was to the daily lives of 19th century residents of the state. There are butter churns, crocks, canning jars, jugs, bowls, mugs and spittoons. Some vessels have no handles, some have simple lug handles and others have looped handles. There are some that have handles near the bottom that made it easier to upend the vessel to pour out its contents.
Though the pots on display are all in various shades of brown and some green, they represent numerous glazing techniques and many have designs that can only be appreciated by close inspection.
Admission to the museum is free and the facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tour groups are welcome. For more information or to schedule a tour, visit www.burrowmuseum.org or call Wilson at (256) 352-8458.
______________________________
Kristen Holmes
Director, Communications & Marketing
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8118 direct
256-352-8314 fax 256-339-2519 cell
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu