Book Description

Mary Chase Perry Stratton and Horace J. Caulkins founded Detroit’s Pewabic Pottery in 1903 during the height of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Now celebrating its centennial, Pewabic is one of the few historic art potteries still operating in the United States. The pottery remains an integral part of artistic life in the Detroit area; its presence in the city is underscored by such installations as the modern tile murals in Detroit’s People Mover Stations, the fairy tale friezes around fireplaces in area schools, and mosaic-tiled ceilings in museums and churches. Fired Magic is the story of a child discovering the beauty of Pewabic tile installations in the metropolitan Detroit area. Readers accompany the main character Angie on a tour of architecturally significant historic and contemporary tiled floors, ceilings, fountains, fireplaces, and other tile installations that grace the city and its environs—such as Belle Isle Park, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook Educational Community, and the Detroit Zoo. Readers also join Angie in taking a class at Pewabic Pottery, where she learns to make tiles and other clay objects. The book provides a glossary of ceramic terms and a comprehensive list of Pewabic installations around the United States so that readers may discover the beauty of Pewabic tile for themselves. This is the second in a series of books celebrating the cultural heritage of Detroit and the Great Lakes. Like the first in the series, The Outdoor Museum: The Magic of Michigan’s Marshall M. Fredericks (Wayne State University Press, 2001), this book is written for students from age 8 and above; however, it is enjoyable for art lovers of all ages. Through its inviting tale and rich illustrations, Fired Magic relates the history of Pewabic Pottery from its beginnings in the Arts and Crafts Movement and furthers the pottery’s present-day mission to support, educate, and foster appreciation for ceramic art.