Folk Pottery on Tour: One Day, One Bus, Three Museums

Calling all enthusiasts of folk pottery and Southern folk art! The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia presents an immersive and enlightening experience. “Folk Pottery on Tour” takes you into the rich cultural heritage of folk pottery exploring the legacy of enslaved potters in Edgefield, SC, and learning about the life of Dave Drake. This one-of-a-kind, daylong journey will take place on Saturday, March 23.

Participants of “Folk Pottery on Tour” will embark on a full-day adventure aboard a 38-passenger motorcoach, exploring three regional museums. Hosts and guides for the day include:

Emily DeFoor- Director of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia and Potter will provide insight into the regional folk pottery tradition as well as the pottery making process.

Audrey Davenport – Tour host and executive director of the Regional African American Museum of Northeast Georgia will create a space for dialogue by sharing her personal perspective of where her history intersects with Dave the Potter as a descendent of enslaved people, artist and southerner.

Emory Jones – Historian, Author, Playwright, and Storyteller will accompany the tour and while on the bus share captivating tales of folk pottery and notable real-life and fictional characters.

Here is a glimpse of what awaits participants on this enriching journey.

Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia:

The tour kicks off with a Special Exhibit of a private collection of Dave Drake pottery and guided tour of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, providing insight into the regional folk pottery tradition.

Atlanta History Center:

Participants will explore the Atlanta History Center, where they will partake in a guided tour of the Shaping Traditions: Folk Arts in a Changing South exhibit led by exhibit curator Dr. John Burrison, who is also the curator of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia. Highlighted artists include the Meaders and Hewell family pottery makers, chair-maker Walter Shelnut and more.

High Museum of Art:

The tour culminates with admission to the High Museum of Art, featuring a docent-led tour of Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina, followed by free time to explore other exhibitions. This exhibition tells the story of the enslaved potters of Old Edgefield District. For roughly fifty years before emancipation and the end of the Civil War, the Black potters of Old Edgefield crafted stoneware storage vessels later sold to neighboring plantations.

“Folk Pottery on Tour” begins at 8:00 a.m. at the Sautee Nacoochee Center home of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia. Following the Folk Pottery Museum, the tour stops at the Atlanta History Center, which includes lunch. The tour then moves to the High Museum of Art and returns to Sautee around 6:30 p.m.

“Folk Pottery on Tour” is presented by the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia. Tickets are $150 per person. For more information or to reserve your spot, please visit www.FolkPotteryMuseum.com or contact Emily DeFoor at 706-878-3300 ext. 310 or at edefoor@snca.org.

The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia is a property of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Association, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Events at the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia are supported, in part, by the Swanson Family Foundation. To learn more, visit www.snca.org.