Mary Chase Perry Stratton
Encyclopedia
Mary Chase Perry Stratton (March 15, 1867 – April 15, 1961) was an American ceramic
artist
. She was a co-founder, along with Horace James Caulkins
, of Pewabic Pottery
, a form of ceramic art
used to make architectural tiles.
in the Upper Peninsula, and later moved with her family to Ann Arbor
following the death of her father, and from there to the Detroit area when she was in her early teens. There she attended her first art classes at the Art School of the Detroit Museum of Art. She followed that up with two years of studies at the Cincinnati Art School from 1887 to 1889 where she studied with the regionally important sculptor and educator Louis Rebisso
.
, named after an old copper
mine (or sometimes, the Indian name of a nearby river) in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
, with Caulkins in 1903. In 1907 the enterprise flourished and moved from the Carriage House behind the Ransom Gillis House
on John R Street to a new building designed by Detroit architect William Stratton located on Jefferson Avenue, where the business still thrives. In 1918 she married William Stratton.
Under her leadership, Pewabic Pottery produced architectural tiles, lamps and vessels. The Pewabic Pottery
became known far and wide for its iridescent glazes, and was used in churches, libraries, schools, and public buildings. New York
architects McKim, Meade & White asked her to create the tiles for the roof garden
of the Hotel Pennsylvania
. Her work was seen in Detroit at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul
, the Fisher Building
, and Eliel Saarinen
's Kingswood School for Girls
.
Pewabic Pottery is Michigan's only historic pottery. It is designated a National Historic Landmark
.
Stratton established the ceramics department at the University of Michigan
and taught there. She taught also at Wayne State University
. In 1947, she received the highest award in the American ceramic field, namely the Charles Fergus Binns Medal.
She exhibited at the Detroit Art Club in 1995, and was a charter member of the Detroit Society of Women Painters and Sculptors.
Today Pewabic Pottery offers classes, workshops, lectures, internships and residency programs for potters of all ages.
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. She was a co-founder, along with Horace James Caulkins
Horace Caulkins
Horace James Caulkins was an American ceramic artist living in Detroit, Michigan, he began his career as a dental supplier. In doing this he developed a kiln for firing dental enamel, the products from which were marketed under the trade name of Revelation...
, of Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery is a studio and school located in Detroit, Michigan and founded in 1903. The studio is known for its iridescent glazes, some of which grace notable buildings such as the Shedd Aquarium and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Pewabic Pottery is on display...
, a form of ceramic art
Ceramic art
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
used to make architectural tiles.
Early years
Stratton was born in Hancock, MichiganHancock, Michigan
Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census...
in the Upper Peninsula, and later moved with her family to Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
following the death of her father, and from there to the Detroit area when she was in her early teens. There she attended her first art classes at the Art School of the Detroit Museum of Art. She followed that up with two years of studies at the Cincinnati Art School from 1887 to 1889 where she studied with the regionally important sculptor and educator Louis Rebisso
Louis Rebisso
Louis Thomas Rebisso Italian born American sculptor and teacher. After immigrating to the United States Rebisso settled in Cincinnati, Ohio where he spent the most productive years of his career...
.
Career
Returning to Detroit she eventually founded the Pewabic PotteryPewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery is a studio and school located in Detroit, Michigan and founded in 1903. The studio is known for its iridescent glazes, some of which grace notable buildings such as the Shedd Aquarium and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Pewabic Pottery is on display...
, named after an old copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine (or sometimes, the Indian name of a nearby river) in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
, with Caulkins in 1903. In 1907 the enterprise flourished and moved from the Carriage House behind the Ransom Gillis House
Ransom Gillis House
The Ransom Gillis House is an abandoned ruin located at 205 Alfred Street in Detroit, Michigan. It was "mothballed" by the City of Detroit in 2005/2006 in hopes of restoration in the future. The structure has been unoccupied since the mid-1960's.- History :...
on John R Street to a new building designed by Detroit architect William Stratton located on Jefferson Avenue, where the business still thrives. In 1918 she married William Stratton.
Under her leadership, Pewabic Pottery produced architectural tiles, lamps and vessels. The Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery is a studio and school located in Detroit, Michigan and founded in 1903. The studio is known for its iridescent glazes, some of which grace notable buildings such as the Shedd Aquarium and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Pewabic Pottery is on display...
became known far and wide for its iridescent glazes, and was used in churches, libraries, schools, and public buildings. New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
architects McKim, Meade & White asked her to create the tiles for the roof garden
Roof garden
A roof garden is any garden on the roof of a building. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, habitats or corridors for wildlife, and recreational opportunities....
of the Hotel Pennsylvania
Hotel Pennsylvania
The Hotel Pennsylvania is a hotel located at 401 7th Avenue in Manhattan, across the street from Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden in New York City.- History :...
. Her work was seen in Detroit at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul
Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. The cathedral is located at 4800 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, adjacent to the campus of Wayne State University. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in...
, the Fisher Building
Fisher Building
The Fisher Building is an ornate Art Deco skyscraper located on the corner of West Grand Boulevard and Second Avenue in the heart of the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. It is constructed of limestone, granite, and several types of marble, and was financed by the Fisher family with proceeds...
, and Eliel Saarinen
Eliel Saarinen
Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen was a Finnish architect who became famous for his art nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century....
's Kingswood School for Girls
Cranbrook Schools
Cranbrook Schools is a private, PK–12 school located on a campus in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The schools comprise a co-educational elementary school, a middle school with separate schools for boys and girls, and a co-educational high school with boarding facilities...
.
Pewabic Pottery is Michigan's only historic pottery. It is designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
Stratton established the ceramics department at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and taught there. She taught also at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
. In 1947, she received the highest award in the American ceramic field, namely the Charles Fergus Binns Medal.
She exhibited at the Detroit Art Club in 1995, and was a charter member of the Detroit Society of Women Painters and Sculptors.
Today Pewabic Pottery offers classes, workshops, lectures, internships and residency programs for potters of all ages.