Photo: Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia
	The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia’s architecture was inspired by the open sheds that covered the kilns of regional potteries.

Shaping history

Southeastern Article,
February 17, 2012

Folk potter Lin Craven didn’t simply have a way with her hands. She also had a playful side that showed up in her works time and time again. 

If there is such a thing as folk pottery royalty, Craven is descended from it. Her family and the Meaders, of White County, are legends of this unique artform, with roots going back more than 200 years. 

“Her name is associated with pottery all over the southeastern United States,” said Chris Brooks, director of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia.

Craven, who died in April 2011, was well known for putting her own comical spin on classic styles. 

For example, rooster and chicken art is a popular design among folk potters, but none crafted their pieces quite like Craven. Her fowl featured bobbing heads.  

“Lin had a very unique sense of humor, and her pieces are very whimsical, very expressive,” Brooks said. 

Her specialty was the ring jug — a particularly tricky piece to master, Brooks said. They date back to the mid 19th century. Confederate soldiers were known to carry them as canteens. 

Main exhibits at the museum in Sautee Nacoochee near Helen change annually. Craven’s works will be showcased until September 2012. 

The museum counts 200 pieces in its permanent collection and features about 33 living potters. Its earliest piece is dated 1846, with the collection continuing through the present time.

“That craft continues to this day because there were families that stuck with it until people became interested in folk art collecting,” Brooks said. 

The 5,000-square-foot facility, which opened five years ago, is a work of art in its own right, Brooks noted. Its design is contemporary, yet harkens back to folk architecture with its timber frame, metal roof and porches. It was designed by Robert Cain, of Atlanta, and inspired by the open sheds that covered the kilns of historic potteries in the region. 

“The building itself is a treat,” Brooks said. “It’s an architectural gem.” 

The museum is a program of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Association, the organization that also oversees the History Museum of Sautee Nacoochee and the African American Heritage Site. There typically is cross-traffic between the three sites, located on an eight-acre campus. 

“We tend to get people who are already in the area to see Helen, Georgia,”  Brooks said. “We’d love to see more” (motorcoach groups).

The museum draws about 7,000 visitors annually. 

With advance notice, groups can request a demonstration, typically featuring a potter working on a treadle wheel.

Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia
(706) 878-3300
www.folkpotterymuseum.com