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Artists « Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown (Folk Pottery) In the early 1930s, Brown’s father, Horace “Jug” Brown, moved to Lamar County, Alabama, a region rich in clay for pottery making, and opened a pottery shop in 1941. Jerry and his brother were put to work in their father’s shop before they were old enough to go to school. Jerry was 22 when his father turned the shop over to his sons. Brown and his wife Sandra run a small-scale, family operation. Brown still uses a mule named “Blue” to power his clay mill. He continues to use the old glazes—Albany slip, Bristol and ash, as well as producing many of the old traditional shapes including churns, pitcher and the face jugs that the Brown family has been making since the turn of the century. Brown’s work is a testimony to the vitality and continuity of the Southern pottery tradition. Traditional, hand-turned pottery is becoming a lost art. While there are plenty of commercial or professionally-trained artists working in ceramics, only a handful are using the Old World techniques. Mule-powered Pug mills are even rarer Most recently, Jerry Brown had a festival named in his honor. The Jerry Brown Arts Festival—also known as the JBAF—is a juried event that attracts artists working in various media. The event features original, visual art from throughout the Southeast, local Echota Indian presentations, bluegrass music, storytellers, a kid’s station for art education, and food vendors. The festival is a two-day event hosted by the Northwest Alabama Arts Council, Inc., serving Franklin, Lamar, Marion, and Winston counties. Brown was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship in 1992. He is also the recipient of numerous merit awards. Items in the APT AuctionRelated Linkshttp://www.jerrybrownpottery.com/http://www.jbaf.org http://www.nwaarts.org |
