Throwing Pots: What Would Archie Do?

This pottery mess in Seagrove (i.e. the dueling pottery festivals) makes me very, very sad.

But alas, I saw it coming a long time ago.

The brouhaha made the Raleigh News & Observer this week.

When I first came back home to Asheboro, I indulged a long-time fascination with the art and craft of pottery. I don't mean I started making it (although I wish I had the time to take a class). I started buying it. Loads of it.

My Mama and I have the same "eye". And, at times, our eyes can strain our pocketbooks.

I fell in love with the history and lore of Seagrove . . . and trolled every inch of the area. At one point, I think I had been to all of the shops/studios/barns at least once. When friends came in from out-of-town, it was one of the things everyone loved to do . . . go "pottery-hopping" with Mary. We would make whole weekends of it. Those were wonderful, light-hearted times.

I dreamed of having an office where I could stock cabinets in the waiting room with local pottery and encourage little kids to appreciate the art of it all.

The trips are no more. The dream is no more. After Bob Morrison/Steve Eblin worked their dark magic on my life and dreams (to serve their power-mongering and greed) . . . and I was forced into a protracted legal battle, the pottery bug took a back-seat to financial survival. I lost touch with (and track of) a lot of what was going on down in Seagrove.

A lot of the potters & artists I knew/admired have since died or moved on. New ones have moved into the area.

Others have become quite full of themselves . . . all about self-promotion at the expense of others. Once again, "important" names and connections seem to be a big factor in the hype.

Back in the day, I had some favorite potters/shops. "Earth Spirit" was around only for a few years, but I loved their work (their version of the Confederate ring jug was gorgeous). I love the folks at "Old Hard Times" (it's where my favorite lizard jug was born). Humble Mill's black birds sing to my soul (I bought two of those plates the weekend before Daddy died). And I have a great politically-incorrect story about a visit to M.L. Owen's shop a few years back. It's priceless (just like his Rebecca pitchers are now). Alas, it's just a little too risque to be published on the Internet. Let's just say that every time I think of that plain-speaking old man, I smile.

But my favorite Seagrove potters of all time were Archie and Yvonne Teague. I had known the Teagues since childhood (when my family attended Armfield Heights Baptist church). For a long time, Archie maintained a row of pottery huts (I believe he called it a "village') off Highway 705. I would sometimes go down to Seagrove on a Saturday afternoon and sit on Archie's porch swing and chat up his bird (a gigantic talking parrot - I think I remember his name was Jake), just to unwind.

I have a picture (an artist's rendition) of the bird on a plate somewhere . . . it's a one of a kind. It's packed away in storage.

Archie was a fourth-generation Master-Potter of the old school. He made some really amazing, beautiful stuff - including an Aladin's Lamp (the style of which I have yet to see anyone duplicate).

Archie's face jugs have no equal. They were ugly and beautiful at the same time. The man had a gift from God.

He was a gift from God.

After I got fired, Archie was a huge rock to lean on. He knew well how things in Asheboro/Randolph County worked and how good people could get screwed. He admired the fact that I was not just rolling over and taking all the nastiness dished out by "the whos" at Randolph Hospital.

When Archie died in the summer of 1998 (I believe after a medical screw-up), I wrote a letter to the Courier Tribune euligizing my friend. If I'm not mistaken, it's the last letter I ever sent to Ray Criscoe that got published. I was infuriated when it was published because Mr. Criscoe had "edited" the letter.

Editing someone's eulogy to a dear friend is a fairly low journalistic blow in my book. Par for the course with the Courier.

It took some doing to find the text of the letter today. It's buried on the hard-drive of my old Compac laptop (the screen no longer works) - and the hard copy was packed away with all of the books I've never been able to buy bookcases for. I finally found the original draft - carefully folded inside my copy of the rare, now out-of-print "history-of-pottery" book I reference in the LTE below. I'd like to share the letter (no edits) here:

My friend, Archie Teague, died last week. It was unexpected. He was 63.

Obituaries tend to reiterate the obvious. Archie was a veteran, a retired city fireman, a master potter, a family man.

But Archie was more than all these things. Like my Granddaddy Cecil (the man he reminded me most of), Archie was a simple, good and fundamentally decent man who mere presence helped define "home" to me. And now he is gone.

He was indeed, as his pastor, Charlie Miller described him, a true "Renaissance Man". His laid-back demeanor belied a restless inquisitiveness and a keen intelligence. He could identify an "unsigned" pot at a glance. And Archie could "talk your ears off" about anything - especially if it had anything to do with his art.

Archie spoke often of "sight" - the ability to see the natural beauty of a piece of clay or a particular glaze, a gift he enthusiastically shared.

Archie and his wife, Yvonne, were also very concerned about historical preservation - protecting the legacy of Seagrove's master potters for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. I recommend "The Traditional Potters of Seagrove, North Carolina" by Robert Luck (and a book to which Archie & Yvonne contributed) for anyone who wants to "get their bearings" in Seagrove's maze of pottery families and sheds.

I once showed Archie a picture of an old medicine jug and asked him where I might find one. He shook his head and told me it was a rare antique in a private collection, and that I probably would not be able to find anything like it. I stuck my lip WAY out in disappointment. With a sheepish grin on his face, Archie immediately invited me to the back of his shed, plopped some clay on his wheel, and within a few minutes fashioned an exact replica of the jug. It was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen. He signed his name on the bottom and wrote, "For Mary". He later glazed it "puke green" - appropriate for a medicine jug - at my request. And he made three different sized cups to go with the jug, so I could "prescribe" just the right dose of "medicine" (an old cough "recipe" consisting of whiskey and hard candy).

Archie's hands were magnificent. Lined, worn experienced, strong. I could not imagine those hands cold or still. But when I paid my respects, they were. I kissed those hands goodbye, and in an instant catalogued in my memory all of the wonderful things he'd made for me.

Archie was a kind and gentle soul - a sensitive man who was genuinely hurt if he wasn't sure he'd said or done exactly the right thing. He lent a sympathetic and supportive ear whenever I needed one. I will miss my friend. "Pottery-hopping" in Seagrove will never be the same.

Good night sweet prince. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. I only hope it's close to a mudhole and a kiln.

Yvonne soldiered on for a while, but her heart was broken. And she died not long after Archie did.

And so there you have it. Pottery-hopping in Seagrove has never been the same. I still go and putter around. But only once or twice a year (usually around Christmas time). And my heart's really not in it.

Home is not what it once was.

Archie's shop is still there off old 705 (run by someone else/featuring other potters). On a few occasions since Archie died, I've driven down to Seagrove in the late evening (when the shop was closed) just to sit in the porch swing. But it's not the same. The bird is gone too.

Archie embraced potters . . . be they young up&comers or old masters . . . local descendants of old families or nobodies from far away. If you loved pottery, Archie did his best to love you. It was about the art.

Most of all, Archie Teague loved Seagrove. He was one of the little people that put it on the map.

Before he died, Archie saw this mess . . . this division & strife amongst the potters . . . coming. The pottery center/museum was just getting its footing (*see below), but even back then it was very clear that ugly things were on the horizon. Archie would furrow his brow when he spoke (rarely) of the oneupmanship & back-stabbing going on behind the scenes.

(Editor's Note: Please see the update below: The NC Pottery Center/Museum and the Museum of North Carolina Traditional Pottery split into two factions in 2001. The split makes all of this ugliness even harder to understand/sort out. My original links, and some of the wording in this post have been adjusted accordingly.)

I believe if he were alive today, Archie would stand with the "upstarts" on this one . . . the potters and artisans who feel disenfranchised . . . the very life's blood of Seagrove who clearly have not been well-served by the museum's (*see update below) board of directors and current leadership (or they would not be moving to break).

As I understand it, until fairly recently, there was not a single Seagrove potter on the museum (of "traditional potters") board. That seems just incredibly short-sighted (and dismissive and STUPID) to me!

But somehow it's not surprising. It's Randolph County, after all. When your county is universally dismissed (by the know-it-alls in Greensboro and Charlotte and Raleigh) as backwards and classless - there are a lot of locals around (who fancy themselves important) willing to fight for some of that class action.

It's sad that we cannot now be who we are - unique and actually ahead of the curve on a number of counts.

For my own part, I see some of the same ugly themes playing out in this mess that I've had to contend with in my battle with Randolph Hospital (and/or other local "who's) . . . and even a few of the same names.

The memories flooded back today as I read another LTE in the Courier today - written by a Meridith Smildsin of Asheboro. I wish I could link it. She really hit the nail on the head.

So I thought I'd put in my two cents. And maybe (I hope) Archie's as well.

"It's time" for some people at the NC Museum of Traditional Potters (*see update below) to un-stick their heads from up their butts.

That was the bird talking;)

6/27/08 Evening Update: I got an e-mail from the owners of Bulldog Pottery today relevant to this post. I'd like to share because it appears I was confused (as are others) about what is going on in Seagrove - specifically who the players really are:

My name is Samantha Henneke. I live in Seagrove. My husband Bruce and I moved here in 1997. I read your blog this morning about "Throwing Pots: What Would Archie Do?" and wanted to get in contact with you.

I had a conversation with Joe Foster at Jake's Pottery and he was wanting to talk to you about what you have written. He does not have a computer. Would you consider calling him at his pottery tomorrow? He will be opened by the afternoon. He was good friends with Archie and Yvonne Teague.

The North Carolina Pottery Center and the Museum of North Carolina Traditional Pottery split into two groups in 2001. The 'upstarts' are in revolt against the Museum of North Carolina Traditional Pottery (NCTP) and NOT the North Carolina Pottery Center (NCPC) .

This can be very confusing, and the Museum (NCTP) is using this confusion against the Pottery Center and linking the upstarts to the Potter Center.

For us (the aforementioned upstarts) this was a grassroots movement and does NOT involve the Pottery Center.

If you would like more explanation of the history or just want to talk, Joe Foster would really like to talk to you because of your common interest and strong friendship with the Teagues.

Yvonne hung the eulogy that you wrote for Archie in the shop, and Joe has it hanging right there in the shop.

Take Care and Sincerely,

Samantha Henneke
Bulldog Pottery
Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke

I've altered some of the links and wording (in italics) in my original post to be in line with this information (it doesn't really change the sentiment), and I'd like to thank Ms. Henneke very much for setting me straight.

I've met and spoke with Mr. Foster on several occasions. I like him. He's another plain-speaking common man. And he clearly loved Archie & Yvonne.

If I am reading this right, I was right about who Archie would stand with. That makes me smile.

Viva la revolutione!

I was thrilled to get this e-mail (even if if meant I was wrong/confused about something) for two reasons:

First it demonstrates that the locals are reading the blog and my story is finally wafting out to the people that matter to me (the people who live here) . . . in spite of the best efforts of some of the "the very important whos" who put all their trust in the greedy machinations and lies of Bob Morrison & Steve Eblin.

And second, it means that people in Randolph County own/use computers. We Randolph County'er's are not so backwards after all:)

Actually there are three reasons. I did remember the name of the bird.

It was Jake.

6/27/08 Late PM Update: Ed Cone has a post up.

6/28/08 Sunday Morning Update: The Courier reports that the second festival will happen on the same day as the traditional event - and it will be held in the old Luck's plant. I summarize at Ed's: According to this morning's Courier Tribune, the Seagrove Town Council (actually, it was the Board of Commissioners - I posted before I had my morning coffee) got the message, and approved the second festival for the same day. One can only hope that the Museum folk will now remove their heads from up their butts (instead of turning to attorneys/the courts - as Phil Morgan not-so-subtly threatened) and do something to extend a hand across the table . . . instead of making people/potters they deem not-so-important and "second-rate" talk to it.

I have a story about Phil Morgan too. The "second-rate" crack he made about the rebel potters/second festival (quoted in the paper) compels me to share.

Now Phil is a guy who has had a lot of success - even international success - with his particular brand/style of raku (a type of crystalline glaze).

A few years back, I decided I wanted something to represent Phil's work in my collection. I became enamoured of a three-handled vase I had seen in his gallery - as well as a pure white crystalline glaze I had seen on another piece. So I ordered the vase in white.

I understand very well from my adventures in Seagrove that artists will be artists - and kilns will be kilns - and this crystalline glaze is hard to pull off (especially in white) - because you can actually loose lots of pottery in the very-high-temperature firing. So I accepted that I would have to wait (I've waited almost a year for some things from other potters). But it took two years and many phone calls - fielding every excuse in the world - to get this order filled. And when I finally was called to pick up the piece, it was not at all what I had wanted or ordered. I was beyond disappointed (on the verge of tears) and refused to buy the vase. I was told (without any real effort being made to "make it right") that it would be put in the gallery and "sell the next day". I suppose it did. To this day, I do not have a Phil Morgan piece in my collection (unless Mama gave one to me and I've simply forgotten).

Now, I am merely a disgruntled customer you say (much like I am a disgurntled ex-employee of Randolph Hospital). Perhaps that is so. But there is more to the story. On several occasions, trying to get updates on the order, I would stop by Phil's gallery in Seagrove. I would get the bad news, but then linger to look longingly at the pieces on display. And I would listen. On several occasions, minding my own business, I heard Phil or his staff put down other potters in the area to customers/tourists - in most cases, these were people I new to be talented/gifted people just trying to make a living with their art.

It made me angry. It was wrong. It was "second-rate" behavior.

And it was NOT what Archie would do.

So I understand well how this "revolt" was born.

P.S. Phil, take it from me. Getting lawyers involved rarely solves anybody's problems. Ignoring people/problems doesn't either. Grow up. It's far past the time for your Museum to re-evaluate the way it's been doing things.