We at the Franciscan Pottery Blog believe in higher education!

Studying pottery in college is relevant to life, prof says

The incorporation of art, science and language in ceramics makes it easy to relate to a university, said John Neely, accomplished ceramicist and USU ceramics professor.

"As I start to list the things that informed my own journey – drawing, design, art history and all the obvious art stuff, but there's also history, chemistry, physics, material science, combustion engineering, language, literature – this list goes on and on," Neely said.

Read the full article by Steve Kent in The Utah Statesman here.

Caveat Emptor!

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How safe is lead-free pottery? Not very safe says FDA"

The Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has received several reports from local and state agencies that traditional pottery from several manufacturers in Mexico labeled as “lead free” in fact contain levels of extractable lead comparable to levels that may be found in lead-glazed pottery.

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The FDA suggests the following:

Check the pottery if it appears to be handmade and has a crude appearance or irregular shape
Is it damaged or excessively worn?
If it is brightly decorated in orange, red, or yellow colors – it may be intended for decoration only and not for use to serve food
If you have pottery that fits any of these descriptions or are concerned of its safety, there are lead-testing kits sold in hardware stores and online.
Do not use the pottery if you cannot determine its safety
For questions and answers on lead-glazed traditional pottery, please go to FDA's website.

Read the full article by Nancy Zielinski, Grand Rapids Public Health Examiner, here

You won't have to worry with vintage Franciscan Pottery and Franciscan Ware by Gladding, McBean & Co.