Robert Gibson on mon 17 may 99
My daughter will be in Tuscany sometime in June and July and would love
to visit some potter's studios to purchase some pottery.....but she
doesn't know anyone there. Any of you clay arters in Tuscany or known
any clay people there?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Jackie Feigon
Bob Chance on tue 18 may 99
Jackie,
There are a lot of shops and small galleries in many of towns in Tuscany that
sell local pots.
In Orvieto there must have been a dozen places near the Cathedral selling
pots including some studios where pots are being made.
In Deruta, which is in Umbria, south of Perugia and Lake Trassimeno, there
are many places selling pots. The Della Grazia factory is the most famous as it
has been in business for a long time. The only problem with them is that you
order from models in their showroom and they make it especially for you. It
took almost 8 months for me to get my purchases delivered to the US. It is also
the place that has an artist-in-residence program that allows artists to come
there and paint on the factory made forms with Majolica. They then will display
these in their showroom and the artists will get a percentage of sales. Robert
Brady and Sandy Simon were there last summer when we visited the factory.
Deruta is also the home of the Pagnotti Kiln (Forno) Company where many of
the Italian kilns are made and there is also a great pottery supply store on the
outskirts of Deruta called Colorrobbia which has everything you could ever want
to do Majolica and much more. To the north in the nearby town of Torgianno
there is a wine museum with a good collection of ceramics--including some
contemporary work. They don't sell ceramics--but they do sell good wine in the
building next door.
There are lots of other places selling really nice ceramics in Deruta plus
there is a ceramics museum in the middle of town in a renovated monastery (the
building is as neat as the collection; it has been completely gutted and is very
contemporary inside) The collection is funky--lots of old majolica but also
lots of 30's-60's designer ceramics that look like they came off of an
Eisenhower era coffee table.
In most of the towns there are places selling pots; Cortona, San Gimignano,
Sienna. Gubbio(in Umbria) is a large ceramics area as well.
Your daughter should have a wonderful time.
Bob Chance
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