Pewabic Pottery, Detroit

Incongruously enough, the Motor City gave birth to an Applied Art of note. Founded at the height of the American Arts and Crafts Movement in 1903, the Pewabic Pottery continues to produce tiles that decorate notable buildings both public and private. In Michigan, Pewabic tile installations may be seen in Christ Church at Cranbrook, the St. Paul Cathedral in Detroit, the Detroit Public Library and at Comerica Park. Around the US Pewabic designs are located in the New York Herald Square Metro station, Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, and the Nebraska State House, among many others.

The pottery building at 16125 E. Jefferson is now a National Historic Landmark itself. To see and learn more about Pewabic visit the in-house museum on the 2nd floor of the pottery.

Pictured here is a portion of the exterior wall decor of Comerica Park, the new home field of Detroit Tigers baseball.

This is where Mary Chase Perry started the whole Pewabic tile movement over a century ago. These ceramic tiles now decorate buildings and walls all over the world. The gallery/museum is a National Historic Landmark and is still dedicated to the ceramic arts.

If you're wealthy, you can have your entire kitchen or bathroom decorated with their custom tiles. If not, you can settle for one to take home as a nice souvenir or wall decoration. :-)

I actually have not yet visited this place but plan to check it out someday and will update this tip then.

Location:
10125 E. Jefferson Ave.
Detroit, MI 48214
1.5 miles east of Belle Isle bridge.