Known throughout the world for its outstanding pottery, McCarty’s of Merigold will be on display for a one-night event this week at the Greenville Arts Council.
At the event, Stephen Smith will speak about the history of Lee and Pup McCarty’s iconic art and author John Ramsey Miller’s book, “McCarty’s of Merigold, Mississippi: The Pottery.”
The 352-page coffee table book is filled with hundreds of photographs, taken by William Powell, and stories of the pottery the McCartys made starting in 1954. The author, Miller, is a Greenville native who attended Delta State University.
Lee and Pup McCarty did not have children of their own, but they had two godchildren, Jamie and Stephen Smith, who learned their craft for more than 50 years and carries on their legacy in Merigold to this day.
The public is invited to visit with Stephen and admire the pottery from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday in the Roger D. Malkin Gallery inside E.E. Bass Cultural Arts Center, 323 S. Main St.
Wednesday’s event is the only time the pottery will be on-hand, so those who want to see it do not want to miss attending.
The event is free to attend and will feature wine and cheese. GAC members drink for free and there will be a cash bar available for non-members.
Greenville Arts Council executive director Eleanor Wright said she is excited about the event.
“We are so excited, it’ll be a really fun event. People all around the world know about McCarty’s Pottery,” she said.
Whether in Seattle, New York City, Dallas, London or Italy, Wright said she has seen McCarty’s Pottery almost everywhere she’s been.
“You recognize it everywhere you go. It doesn’t matter where you are, you will know there is a Mississippi Delta connect. That’s what’s so fabulous about it,” she said.
About McCarty’s Pottery
Concentrating on both artistic and functional pieces, the late Lee and Pup McCarty began making their famous pottery in 1954. Together, the two created platters, casserole dishes, lamps, hanging planters, dinnerware and a large variety of sculptures are among the many pieces they created.
Famous for the glazes used in the firing process, the McCartys experimented with native clays and glazes resulting in a wide variety of colors during the 1950s and 1960s.
By the 1970s, they had invented their signature glazes of nutmeg brown, cobalt blue, and jade. McCartys pottery can be identified by the trademarked "river," a small black wavy line representing the Mississippi River on most functional pieces, and by the trademarked McCartys signature, which is hand signed on the bottom or back of each piece.
