Establishing An Oklahoma Pottery Museum

Oklahoma has such a rich heritage in ceramic pottery, many believe it is time we had a pottery museum to properly showcase that heritage. <br/><br/>As News on 6 reporter Rick Wells explains, the movement

Tuesday, December 26th 2006, 10:07 am

By: News On 6

Oklahoma has such a rich heritage in ceramic pottery, many believe it is time we had a pottery museum to properly showcase that heritage.

As News on 6 reporter Rick Wells explains, the movement to establish a pottery museum has taken root in Saplupa.

The lobby of the First United Bank at 315 East Dewey in Sapulpa is the home for what may be the very beginnings of a pottery museum. The folks doing their banking business may not notice a display case. Inside are valuable and historic pottery pieces.

Gary Schaum the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Institute for Ceramic Arts has them there in hopes of creating interest in a museum. He says the little green Mermaid is perhaps the most valuable. "It was designed by a guy named Joe Taylor." It was commissioned by Governor Alfalfa Bill Murray's wife for a special dinner party, back in the early 30's. As far as he knows there are only three of them, all in private collections. â€œThe museum is important to display a lot of these pieces that have never been seen by most folks."

Schaum says hundreds of pieces are packed away in storage just waiting for a place to show them off.

Joniese Franks whose father stared Frankoma pottery came by to talk about her father's work like this his first piece of art pottery. "It is signed, itâ€™s the first time it's ever been allowed out of the house." Principally, because there is no place to show case it.

Gary Schaum: "Pieces like this shouldn't be kept in one collection, they need to be out so everyone can see them."

They have applied for a grant to buy more display cases and are looking for public places to set them up. Someday they hope to have them all under one roof.

If you'd like more information about an eventual pottery museum, or would like to get actively involved there is a website you might want to check out.