Ceramics in America 2026

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, Ceramics in America looks at how ceramics have been used to celebrate, venerate, or castigate parts of our history, from articles on Wedgwood portrait medallions of Revolutionary war heroes to contemporary ceramics that remind us of the unfulfilled promise of the Declaration of Independence to provide "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" to all. Among those not included in the Declaration were women, and most of the articles in this year's journal focus on the long history of women as makers, consumers, or collectors of ceramics. These range from ones on Sarah Drummond's use of ceramics to rebuild her life and demonstrate her loyalty after Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 to Margaret Parr successful early-nineteenth century stoneware manufactory. Others explore the unexpected role ceramics have played in the United States' rich and varied history, from how one of Wedgwood's Portland Vases became a reliquary for George Washington's hair to how Williamsburg's First Baptist Church, founded the same year as the nation, used redware money jugs to raise funds.