View Past News: 2010 | 2009 | 2008
View Current News
The Cleveland Play House hosted its annual Festival of Trees from 11/22/10-12/30/10. This was last time at the E. 85th & Euclid location (they move to the Allen Theatre on Playhouse Square in Fall, 2011). The Cowan Pottery Museum has participated for about 6 years, and the 2010 Jazz Age tree featured ornaments evocative of Cowan and the era, as well as our signature Flapper Hat at the top. Our tree had a fantastic location in the Bolton Lobby where it was seen by thousands of people during the 2010 Holidays. About 50-70 organizations participate in this annual holiday event.
2010 FESTIVAL OF TREES
See this link for further information:http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/se-events.asp
Our 4th annual festival of films from the era when Cowan was first popular (during the late 1920s, 1930s and 1940s), took place in the fall of 2010 on the 4th Mondays of September, October, & November. Click here to see the 2010 festival flyer. A few classic films used Cowan Pottery in their sets, probably due to the fact that a dealer in Los Angeles sold Cowan Pottery. Click here to find an updated list of movies with Cowan Pottery. The starred films in the following list have pieces of Cowan in the sets, and most are available in the library's DVD collection. If you have suggestions for future film festivals please contact Curator Carol Jacobs(c.jacobs@rrpl.org.) or complete the Cowan Film Festival Survey.
Films Featured in Past Festivals:
2010Theodora Goes Wild*, Irene Dunn & Melvyn Douglas
Three on a Match, Joan Blondell & Bette Davis
Footlight Parade, James Cagney & Dick Powell2009
Chickens Come Home and Blockheads*, Laurel & Hardy
Night Nurse, Barbara Stanwyck & Clark Gable,
Three Smart Girls*, Deanna Durbin & Ray Milland2008
Next Time We Love,* Jimmy Stewart
42nd Street, Ruby Keeler & Dick Powell
The Woman in the Window*, Edward G. Robinson & Joan Bennett2007
The Divorcee*, Norma Shearer
Gold Diggers of 1933, Ruby Keeler & Dick Powell
Baby Face, Barbara Stanwyck
On July 11, the City of Rocky River, and Rocky River Public Library & Cowan Pottery Museum co-sponsored its third annual Antiques A
ppraisal Fair at the Don Umerley Civic Center at Wager Road & Hilliard Boulevard. This year the City and the Library were joined by the Friends of Rocky River Public Library as a sponsor. The Appraisal Fair is part of the annual weekend-long festival, "Rocky River Days." In the air-conditioned Civic Center six expert appraisers gave approximately 300 free and informal appraisals of valuables brought in by about 400 people. In the photo to the right, former Library director, John Lonsak, and current director, Nick Cronin, are shown helping out at the Appraisal Fair. Chris Nowak and Carol Jacobs also represented the Library and were in charge of this event. Watch for next year’s Antiques Appraisal Fair in mid July!
Fantastic speakers and an enthusiastic audience made for a memorable20th Cowan Pottery Symposium on May 8, 2010. Among the attendees were a group of 4th graders from Kensington School in Rocky River, the widow of Viktor Schreckengost, the grandson of R. Guy Cowan, the Executive Director of the Cleveland Zoo, a faculty member from the Cleveland Institute of Art's Ceramics Department, and a couple who flew in from New Hampshire.
The speakers included Dr. Margaret Carney, who spoke on the ABC's of Ohio Ceramics, with particular reference to Cowan; Anne Cole Goodwill from the Intermuseum Conservation Association in Cleveland, who discussed the restoration of Viktor Schreckengost's Mammoth and Mastodons mosaics, soon to be reinstalled at the Cleveland Zoo; and Jeanne Figueira Grossetti, a Cleveland artist and educator who spoke on the science and technology of pottery production, especially during the Cowan era. During the latter presentation we viewed on a large screen a 10-minute video of the Homer Laughlin China Company during the 1930s. Here is the link to that fascinating historical video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DiUK0m-aGM
The winner of this year's R. Guy Cowan Scholarship, funded by the Cowan Pottery Museum Associates, was Valerie Grossman, a second year ceramics student at the Cleveland Institute of Arts. She displayed and discussed her functional and sculptural work that has an emphasis on social commentary and medical imagery. This lively and articulate student ably discussed her thought-provoking and unusual work.
During the Show & Share session, the Museum received 2 unexpected gifts-- one was a replacement for one of our Pterodactyl Bowls that had a broken head, and the other was a sculpture that was designed by Cleveland sculptor Herman Matzen and executed by R. Guy Cowan in 1910 (a valuable early collaborative piece). The Associates also gained a young and enthusiastic new member who is a recent graduate of Sotheby's Institute of Art in London, England.
Check out the following photos, and watch for news of next year's Symposium on Saturday, May 7, 2011!
For the second year, the Cowan Pottery Museum hosted Mrs. Meredith Muccio's 4th grade gifted class from Kensington School in Rocky River. As part of their study of Cowan Pottery, the students had an extensive tour of the Cowan Pottery Museum, including some behind-the-scenes areas. The students were able to visit the Cowan storeroom and get a Closeup view of a large piece that needs repair. In addition they passed around several small pieces of pottery in different shapes and glazes, and examined a manuscript, typescript, and published articles by R. Guy Cowan. In the photo to the right the students are in the Cowan storeroom.
____________________________________________March 2010 - New Acquisitions
Roger and Cathryn Stanbridge have given another rare piece to the Museum. In September 2008, they donated an unusual Art Deco charger, or plate, by Thelma Frazier Winter. In January 2010, they donated a beautiful and rare vase by Arthur E. Baggs, an esteemed artist and glaze technician who did important work at the Cowan Pottery Studio after having founded the Marblehead Pottery in Massachusetts. He also taught at the Cleveland Institute of Art and later at Ohio State University. The Museum holds only three other pieces by Arthur Baggs, and thus this signed, hand-thrown vase with a glaze known as Mother o’ Pearl is a most welcome addition. Antique Trader reported that the sale of this vase at an art pottery auction in Columbus in November 2009 generated much excitement amongst bidders and was a highlight of the auction.
(Click to enlarge images) In February 2010, another kind donor, Charise Pfahl of Bay Village, donated three historically fascinating paintings, done on Masonite, to the Museum. Two of the three works are signed “L.A. Cowan” and dated 1930. Louis Albert Cowan was the father of R. Guy Cowan, and beginning in 1925, he and his wife Clara lived in a small apartment at the back of the Cowan Display Room on eastern Lake Road in Rocky River, Ohio. They remained there until the Cowan Pottery Studio closed in December 1931. For most of his adult life, Lou Cowan was a pottery decorator, and thus was well acquainted with the techniques and art of painting. The subject of two of the paintings is the Mouth of the Rocky River, a site not too far away from the Cowan Pottery.
January 2010 - Acquisition
Most of the Cowan Pottery Museum’s recent acquisitions have been gifts given by generous donors from the community. Two of our most generous donors, however, hail from California. Jerry and Wynne Maschino live near Sacramento and for years have been donating significant pieces to the Cowan Pottery Museum. In fact, they have given over 90 pieces! Jerry was also the founding president of the museum’s support group, the Cowan Pottery Museum Associates, established in 1997.
Highlights of the Maschino’s donations include Waylande Gregory’s Nautch Dancer, R. Guy Cowan’s Asian Lady Candelabra, and many vases featuring Cowan Pottery’s finest glazes. In 2009, the Maschinos converted a loan into a gift when they gave the Museum the earliest known dated piece by R. Guy Cowan.
Jerry is shown in the photo holding this most recent gift, Cowan’s ’09 Vase. Jerry also brought another piece that he is loaning to the Museum, Waylande Gregory’s Artichoke Lamp Base. This historically interesting piece, obtainedfrom Gregory’s estate, experienced an unfortunate accident. Glazes meant for other pieces dripped onto this lamp base while it was in the kiln. Unlike Gregory’s Artichoke Vase that was created in a limited edition of 100, the Artichoke Lamp Base was never put into production, thus making our loaned piece totally unique. Kudos to Jerry and Wynne Maschino for their dedicated support of the Cowan Pottery Museum.
You can still view photos of the 2009 and past years' Cowan holiday trees at the Cleveland Play House's Holiday Tree Festival (View Photos). This past holiday season was the fourth year that the Cowan Pottery Museum participated in this festive display. Due to Cowan's popularity during the Jazz Age and to its most iconic piece, the Jazz Bowl, the 2009 Cowan holiday tree had a Jazz Age theme with plenty of 1920s Flapper hats, bands, feathers, and jewels. And of course there are ornaments showing some of the more famous Cowan pieces. Over 50 organizations participate in this annual event, and many of the trees are professionally decorated. The Holiday Tree Festival is free and open to the public and every year, thousands of people from all over Northeast Ohio attend this event. Watch for the next Cowan Holiday Tree in December 2010!
On March 3, 2009, a special student exhibit in the library's display case on the first floor next to the restrooms was taken down and the items returned to the students. For two months the library was privileged to host this fascinating exhibit by Mrs. Patty Tobin's Advanced Ceramics class at Rocky River High School. This class and the Cowan Pottery Museum partnered during the 2008 fall semester in the class’s study of Jazz Age arts and the Harlem Renaissance. The students were especially inspired by Viktor Schreckengost and his most famous piece, the Jazz Bowl. During this past fall semester, the students conducted research, heard a presentation by the Cowan Pottery Museum curator, took a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum, and spent three weeks creating their own conceptions of modern-day Jazz Bowls. Their study of the visual and aural arts of the 1920s Jazz Age culminated in the library exhibit of 13 Jazz Bowls created in the manner of Viktor Schreckengost, but with updated themes and styles unique to each individual student artist. The photo below, which appeared in the 2/11/2009 West Life along with an in-depth article, shows the students with some of their bowls.
Mrs. Patty Tobin's Advanced Ceramics
class at Rocky River High School.
COWAN POTTERY AND “AMERICAN DA VINCI”
The art world lost an all-around genius, skilled artist in many media, inventor, industrial designer, and true gentleman when the beloved Viktor Schreckengost died on January 26, 2008. This “American DaVinci” of course belongs to the world. But Viktor did spend a small part of his early career with the Cowan Pottery Studio, where he created his celebrated Jazz Bowl. He was the last surviving potter associated with the Cowan Pottery Studio. Viktor never forgot his early roots at the Studio, and he was present at the opening of the Cowan Pottery Museum in 1978. In addition, he attended most of the Cowan Pottery Symposia held at the library, including the May, 2007 Symposium. Viktor’s obituary appeared not only on the front page of the Plain Dealer, but also in the Associated Press, the New York Sun, the Washington Post, and USA Today. .Click on the following link to read some of these published obituaries and tributes: http://www.viktorschreckengost.org. Also, be sure to stop by the museum (on the main floor of Rocky River Public Library) and view the Jazz Bowl, along with his other Cowan works. In addition, the table-top display case across from the public elevator on the first floor contains all of Viktor’s famous sport plaques. His whimsical pen and ink drawing, The Elephant, hangs nearby to the right of the sport plaques display.
Thanks to funds raised by the Cowan Pottery Museum Associates’ recent benefit and the support of
the library’s Board of Trustees, the restoration of the Egyptian Maidens tile mural has been completed and the piece was reinstalled at the library on February 20, 2008. Be sure to stop by and examine this stunning example of the work of Elsa Vick Shaw, who designed this mural for the Cowan Pottery Studio in 1930 (at the same time that she completed the mural paintings for the Grand Foyer of Severance Hall, home of The Cleveland Orchestra). Since only five copies were made of this tile mural, it is a rare piece.
The photo at right shows this exquisite mural on the day it was re-hung at Rocky River Public Library. It is located on a wall close to the main entrance, near the circulation department’s book drop and across from the Cowan Pottery Museum’s introductory display case. Conservation treatment measures included replacement of missing pieces, in-painting, and creation of a new backing. The Egyptian Maidens now looks better than ever, and we are delighted to have this unique piece of Cowan back home and on public view! This restoration project was part of the Cowan Pottery Museum’s 30th anniversary celebration.
On Sunday afternoon, February 24, 2008 Rocky River Public Library rocked with the sound of music, as Ernie Krivda and his Jazz Quartet delighted the audience (and perhaps the entire building) with two full sets of marvelous jazz. Cowan Pottery was a product of the Jazz Age, and its popularity also coincided with the opening of Rocky River Public Library in 1928. One of the museum’s signature pieces is Viktor Schreckengost’s Jazz Bowl. Viktor himself was a jazz saxophonist who performed with local bands. Thus it seemed appropriate to celebrate the museum’s 30th anniversary with a concert of live jazz music, and a special Jazz Bowl birthday cake, as seen in the photos below.
