October 3, 2020–January 10, 2021
Join us as we celebrate the eccentric genius of George E. Ohr the “Mad Potter of Biloxi.” Ohr’s work is unique in that his techniques, homemade glazes, and the shapes and forms he created pushed the art of ceramics to new limits.
Ohr created thousands of extraordinary pottery that he affectionally called his “mud babies” that smashed the staid conventions of his craft. “No two alike,” he said proudly. On his wheel, he shaped ceramic vessels of a thin-walled delicacy and grace that few can duplicate. He crumpled and twisted the clay before adding homemade glazes in extravagantly bright colors and sometimes left them unglazed as he saw the beauty in both.
Today, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art describes Ohr as “arguably America’s quintessential art potter.” Of his pitchers, vases and other vessels, The Met says, “In form and decoration, they are essentially abstract expressionism — almost 50 years before that movement was founded.”
George Ohr is a Mississippi legend and a charter member of The MAX Hall of Fame. His mud babies have done him proud, showcasing his and his state’s artistic legacy to the world. Starting Oct. 3 and running until Jan. 10, 2021, “Deliberately Distorted: The Pottery of George E. Ohr” features over 40 never seen before pieces. Come and see just how astute the Mad Potter was when he said that, after his death, “my work will be prized, honored and cherished.”
The exhibit is free with museum admission.