100 Years of Clay – Greenwich House NYC

by Carole Epp | Dec 4, 2009 | Uncategorized

I know recently done a post about the centennial at Greenwich House Pottery, but I just wanted to put it on your radar again as there are so many amazing activities, exhibitions, talks, you name it, going on.

Greenwich House Announces Centennial Celebration “100 Years of Clay” to Feature Exhibitions, Studio Sales, Soirees, Community Open Houses, Field Trips, and Classes ———————————————————————————————————————————– Greenwich House Pottery (GHP) has unveiled its plans for its much-anticipated Centennial, “100 Years of Clay,” a true smorgasbord for pottery enthusiasts and newcomers alike. The hope is to reach well beyond the traditional boundaries of those affiliated with the ceramics world, and to connect with people of Greenwich Village and the greater New York community. Having begun in September 2009, “100 Years of Clay” will showcase some of the world’s most noted ceramic artists, play host to open houses and studio sales, offer a full roster of classes and workshops, and–most importantly–celebrate ceramics, New York City, and Greenwich House Pottery as an institution. “This Centennial is a thank you, from Greenwich House to the Greenwich Village community and beyond,” said Sarah Archer, director of Greenwich House Pottery. “Rarely has such a rich symbiosis existed between an arts institution and the community that nurtured it. Indeed, we strongly believe that Greenwich House Pottery has helped shape the community, just as we have been shaped by it.”

Over the last century, GHP has pioneered the field of ceramics in New York City offering courses in hand building, wheel-throwing, photo-ceramics, ceramic jewelry, glaze chemistry, kiln classes and sculpture, as well as classes for children and seniors. Greenwich House, the parent organization of GHP, was founded in 1902 by Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch and other social reformers. Its mission was to improve the living conditions among the predominately immigrant population in Greenwich Village, at that time New York’s most congested neighborhood. Seven years later, Greenwich House Pottery was founded and extended that mission. While the audience may have changed throughout the years GHP has continued to provide a rich, tactile experience in the face of rampant mechanization, and an individuated product in the face of encroaching uniformity.

“Greenwich House Pottery has added to New York’s cultural tapestry in so many ways over the last century,” says Sarah Archer, Director of Development and Communications at Greenwich House. “We look forward to a year’s worth of celebration, the opportunity to reach out to legions of new pottery enthusiasts, and the second one hundred years of GHP.”

Greenwich House Pottery Located at 16 Jones Street, Greenwich House Pottery has been introducing New Yorkers to clay since 1909, and over the years has become an internationally recognized center for ceramics. It features diverse programs, classes, exhibitions, residencies, community outreach and special events. Greenwich House Pottery is a program of Greenwich House Inc., a settlement house founded in 1902 by Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch.

Greenwich House Pottery maintains an ongoing exhibition series in the Jane Hartsook Gallery. The Jane Hartsook Gallery and Storefront Gallery are committed to supporting both emerging and established ceramic artists, and to the educational mission of making, exhibiting, and learning from contemporary ceramics.

About Greenwich House:
Located at 27 Barrow Street, Greenwich House offers a wide array of programs designed to enrich the lives of New Yorkers, including a Music School (46 Barrow Street), nursery and Preschool programs, health care and services for people living with HIV/AIDS, and Senior services.