Celebrating Monmouth, Illinois’ historic tradition of creating quality stoneware and pottery is the idea behind our annual Pottery on the Square Swap Meet event on June 28th, 2008 starting at 8:00am. Monmouth’s history with stoneware and pottery dates back to the 1890’s and continues today with the new WS Inc. d.b.a. Western Stoneware and Maple City Pottery, both of Monmouth.

 

With the success of the pottery swap meet that was held in June of 2006 and 2007 the Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce and its Pottery Event Committee is organizing the event again for 2008. “We received a lot of positive feedback from the last two year’s attendees indicating they would be interested in another event” stated Angela McElwee, Executive Director of the Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce. “We had attendees from 6 states, and we would like to build upon that by inviting collectors from various pottery clubs for this year’s event.”

 

Beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Monmouth’s Public Square, activities will include a pottery and stoneware swap meet, pottery demonstration, and window displays of rare pottery pieces. Also returning to the event this year is the pottery appraisal clinic where knowledgeable Illinois pottery collectors will be on hand to examine pieces of Illinois pottery brought by the public. According to the event Chairman, Fred Jenks, “we plan to bring back the appraisers clinic as it was popular among area residents.” A pottery/stoneware consignment auction will begin at 10:30am. The public is welcome to bring items the day of the event for the auction or can register them ahead of time and have them advertised on the auctioneer’s website www.burnsauctionservice.com. Swap meet and consignment auction participants are not limited to Illinois pottery. 

 

In conjunction with the event the Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce is offering to the public an opportunity to purchase a handcrafted limited- edition, three-quarter sized leaf and scroll pitcher. The pitcher will be burgundy and white and have a Burgundy “Western Stoneware” leaf logo on one side and “Pottery on the Square, June 28, 2008, Monmouth, Illinois” also in burgundy on the other side. There will be a small maple leaf on each side of the wording. A detailed embossed maple leaf will be on the bottom of the pitcher. Orders are currently being taken for the pitchers that will be available the day of the event. The deadline for orders is June 1st and they are priced at $35. Shipping charges vary based on quantity.

 

For more information on the event or the commemorative pitchers please contact the Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce at 309-734-3181 or e-mail maccdir@maplecity.com.