Resourceful settlers in the late 1700's discovered valuable clay deposits along the Muskingum River. Of necessity, pottery was created for family use, later to be offered as an item for trade. This began what was to become a leading industry of Southeastern Ohio.
By 1898, with three major industrial pottery companies, Zanesville, Ohio was titled the "Clay Capital of the World". Over time, its largest employer was the Weller Pottery Company with 1,500 workers producing pieces now highly prized by collectors. Located in the Putnam District, between Pierce Street and Weller Avenue, just south of the 6th Street bridge, the old Weller company building has lost nearly all its former glory. And yet, its legacy continues to inspire artists today.
In the Spring of 2005 an idea was born involving the majority of potteries and artists along what has become the Appalachian Clay Corridor, a grand attraction for collectors and tourists alike, to cast a vase seven feet in height, gather sponsors for each of the 100 creations, match with artists to decorate in both traditional and modern designs, and raise funds for both local arts organizations and specific arts oriented community grants. Thus was begun the
Vase In Place project.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see
when you take your eyes off the goal."- Henry Ford
Karl Kappes
(Designer - Weller Pottery)
Bronze - 2006
by Alan Cottrill
Located at Welcome Center
5th Street, Zanesville, OH