GAINESVILLE, Ga.-
After a seven-year quest, the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia has opened in Sautee Nacoochee, giving visitors a chance to discover the history of folk pottery in the region.
The museum, which opened Sept. 2 about four miles southeast of Helen in the Georgia mountains, details the role of pots in rural life in the past, beginning in the 1800s, as well as how the pots are made.
Dean and Kay Swanson, members of the Sautee-Nacoochee Community Association started looking seven years ago for a place to display their collection of more than 150 folk pots dating back to the 1840s, according to The Gainesville Times.
They decided on a museum in an effort to give back to the community, said Michael Crocker, himself a folk potter and co-curator for the museum.
The museum is connected to the community center, which is a former schoolhouse that also has a theater, art studio, gallery and local history museum.
Several exhibits–including a kitchen, a moonshine still, a smokehouse and a spring house–show how pottery was originally intended not for art collections but for everyday uses like preserving food and drink.
Another exhibit, consisting of a wood kiln replica with a small television screen, allows visitors to see a video about making and firing pottery. There's also a working treadle wheel where potters will create objects on some days.
Museum curator John Burrison said he's also looking at creating a studio for pottery classes and holding a festival.
Details at .
