We are being advised to use copious amounts of soap during the current crisis, so we thought it was a good time to highlight one of the most amusing statues in the WMODA collection. You Dirty Boy by Giovanni Focardi was purchased by Pears’ soap manufacturers and used extensively to

Majolica Mania is due to open at the Bard Graduate Center in New York on September 24 and travels to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore in January of 2022. This magnificent exhibition and publication will create a new awareness and appreciation for 19th century majolica, which was wildly popular

Tide pools at the Florida seashore inspire ceramic artist Alyssa Ligmont to make functional stoneware embellished with shells and starfish. She carves, stamps and models her stoneware forms before applying multiple high-fired glazes to achieve rich surface decoration with an organic feel. Alyssa loves the versatility of working with clay,

As St. Patrick’s Day’s Day approaches, we are wondering why a bird which lives in the treetops of South American rainforests was used to promote an iconic Irish beer. Carlton ware began making Guinness advertising ceramics in the 1950s and Royal Doulton was commissioned to make Guinness toucans by Millennium

“Black is sterling and will last forever” said Josiah Wedgwood of his new black basalt body. The first major exhibition devoted to the subject has opened recently at the Mint Museum in Charlotte and has inspired us to look more closely at the black basalt collection at WMODA. Josiah Wedgwood

During Women’s History Month, Louise Irvine is celebrating the Centennial of women’s right to vote and highlighting their achievements as designers and muses in the fired arts during the roaring twenties. Votes for Women The women’s rights movement began nearly a century before the vote was finally granted. There were

Since ancient times, orchids have been valued for their beauty and beneficial effects. The Greeks and Romans cultivated orchids for medicinal purposes, including varieties for aphrodisiacs. In South America, orchids were grown for their perfume and culinary uses. However, orchid mania really took root in 19th century Britain where vast

The forces of nature create glass. The essential ingredients of sand, soda ash, and lime are melted under intense fire with temperatures of 2400 degrees Fahrenheit. Glass can be formed when lightning hits sand and the resulting forms are known as fulgurites. Sea glass is formed over many years when

Rob Stern’s iconic Windstars have attracted a lot of attention in our Art on Fire exhibit. Now he has installed a constellation of his stars at WMODA. Rob Stern’s studio is in Wynwood, Miami and he has exhibited his work internationally during his 30-year career as a glass blower. He

This year, the world is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, the creative genius whose music continues to inspire and enrich our lives. The impressive portrait bust by Richard Garbe for Royal Doulton also inspires visitors at WMODA. Richard Garbe’s bust of Beethoven was made