RED WING STONEWARE & POTTERY TO DESCEND UPON DES MOINES, FEB. 8-10

RED WING, MN. – Lovers of Red Wing stoneware and pottery will have the opportunity to quench their thirst for that next great treasure when they attend the Red Wing Collectors Society’s (RWCS) Annual MidWinter GetTogether in Des Moines from Feb. 8-10.

The RWCS is devoted to those who collect a diverse line of crocks, jugs, churns, dinnerware and art pottery manufactured in Red Wing from the 1880s to 1960s. Hundreds of people from around the country are expected to attend the February event, which will help tie collectors over until the next RWCS National Convention in Red Wing in July. These two events serve as great opportunities for members to buy and sell Red Wing and learn about the history of the potteries that once operated in Red Wing, their diverse production lines and the impact they had on the American pottery industry.

The MidWinter GetTogether includes a number of other organized activities like a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8. The theme of this year’s event is “Wild, Wild West: The Red Wing Watering Hole”.  Attendees are encouraged to don their cowboy hats, leather chaps, spurs and over-sized belt buckles to take part in the fun.

Highlighting this year’s event will be a keynote presentation from RWCS member and longtime Red Wing Pottery Dump Digger Dennis Nygaard, who will show and describe many of the new finds he’s made over the past year-and-a-half, which has been one of his most productive periods since he began digging in the dump in 1980.

More educational sessions will be held for members following the keynote presentations, including a discussion from the RWCS Foundation, which announced on Dec. 28 that it had officially purchased a portion of the Pottery Place Annex building in Red Wing, MN to house the new Red Wing Pottery Museum. Other educational topics will include an introduction to Red Wing dinnerware, the history of Boone, Iowa’s Moingona Pottery and the 1920 art pottery experiment by Iowa State College (now Iowa State University). In addition, the RWCS KidsView education program will have activities that will teach younger collectors about Red Wing’s “Wild West” story.

Many attendees sell Red Wing wares from their hotel rooms during the MidWinter GetTogether. A formal Show & Sale will run from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9 followed by an auction at 6 p.m. – both of which are open to the public. Whether you’re new to collecting Red Wing or an experienced collector, there’s something for everyone at the MidWinter GetTogether.

All activities will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 4800 Merle Hay Road, in Des Moines, Iowa.  For more information on the MidWinter GetTogether, or the annual Red Wing Collectors Society Summer Convention, which is slated for July 11-13 in Red Wing, Minn., log on to www.redwingcollectors.org.

Annual membership in the Red Wing Collectors Society costs only $25 and includes six 16-page full-color newsletters mailed to your home throughout the year. The Red Wing Collectors Society was founded in 1977 in Red Wing, Minn. and is devoted to educating people about all American pottery. There are more than 4,000 members worldwide. The Red Wing Potteries had diverse pottery lines that included stoneware, dinnerware and art pottery. For more information or to become a member, call the RWCS business office at 800-977-7927, e-mail membership@redwingcollectors.org or log on to www.redwingcollectors.org. You can also join the RWCS on Facebook and follow it on Twitter at twitter.com/RWpottery.