Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

At Old state House Museum

The Old State House Museum debuts `The Art of Camark' pottery exhibit in the Arkansas Artists Registry on March 7, and continues the show through May 2, according to Ronnie A. Nichols, museum director.

The Old State House is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

"Arkansas art pottery has made its own niche within the scope of American art pottery, and the Camark Pottery Company (`Cam' for Camden, `ark' for Arkansas) will be the focus of the current exhibit." Nichols said.

"Research indicates that Arkansas' rich clays, found in the Hot Springs area by mineralogists in the early 1900s, enabled large quantities of hand-thrown art pottery to be produced here from 1926 to 1931," he said.

More than half of the pieces in the pottery exhibit are from the collection given to the museum by Richard Hagan of California.

The Arkansas Artists Registry, located at 323 Center Street, Little Rock, in the Tower Building lobby, is a program of the Arkansas Arts Council, and an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

Camden Art Tile and Pottery Company, later known as Camark, was organized in late 1926 by Samuel J. Carnes. Carnes provided the capitol and the Camden Chamber of Commerce donated the acreage for the plant site.

During the early years of the company's existence, art pottery was the primary focus of production, while in later years, castware and novelty wares were pouduced.

Although details are vague, John Lessell, a well-known potter from Ohio, was scheduled to head the Camark art department.

Camark's first art wares were made by Lessell while he was still residing in Ohio. Carnes shipped Arkansas clays to Lessell to test their suitability for art pottery, which Lessell found to be superior. However, Lessell died before he could reach Arkansas.

By the late 1920s, production of hand-thrown art pottery in Arkansas had almost entirely ceased.

The Old State House shares the goal of all seven Departments of Arkansas Heritage Agencies, that of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas.

The agencies are the Arkansas Arts Council; Arkansas Commemorative Commission, which governs the Old State House and Trapnall Hall; Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission; Arkansas Natural and Scenic Rivers Commission; Arkansas Historic Preservation Program; Arkansas Territorial Restoration and the Delta Cultural Center in Helena.