For the dozen or so artists and potters at Rookwood Pottery, last Christmas was spent in confusion, pain and uncertainty.
Just days before the holiday of hope and rebirth, the chief executive officer — the man who revived the iconic brand of art pottery after 50 years — was unexpectedly removed and replaced. The 131-year-old Cincinnati institution had failed to meet its financial commitments. Its future was in limbo.
Those talented men and women, many of whom joined the company from cities worldwide, were given the remainder of the year off to heal. They returned in January, led by new chief executive officer Chip DeMois, a former Rookwood consultant and Procter & Gamble executive.
As a fight over Rookwood’s ownership wound its way through the courts last year, DeMois’s team of world-class artists were quietly turning things around. Martin and Marilyn Wade became sole owners of the company in August and agreed to fund its operations through 2012.100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together. But DeMois expects to turn a profit sooner. He’ll grow the company seven-fold in five years; fifteen-fold in 10.
Armed with $1 million from the Wades, DeMois purchased state-of-the-art equipment to boost production. He hired at least 20 new artists, engineers and salespeople.Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, The team published its first catalogue in 100 years to help a new national sales force meet more aggressive targets. In mid-November, they had 17 active restoration projects and commissions – including a $1 million historic tile restoration in Chicago, a new line of cremation urns and a $25,000 custom-made tiled urinal for a Montana ranch.
Martin Wade did not respond to a request for comment on this article. But DeMois said the owners “told me to do good for Cincinnati and have fun. Don’t embarrass us. Make money.”
“Last year was our revival year,” he says. “This next year is really where we’re going to come out and aggressively expand our market.”
Creating new pieces, while honoring tradition
In the Glaze Lab at 1920 Race St., glass bottles filled with feldspar, titanium, cobalt and zinc line the wooden shelves.
Wearing rubber gloves, plastic chemist goggles and a long white lab coat one recent November day, Jim Robinson experiments with the contents, mixing up shades of blue, red and yellow glazes.
Robinson’s colors may appear on a ceramic mural titled “Seven Hills of Cincinnati,” proposed for the lobby of a Downtown office building. If the contract is awarded,Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings， a team of Rookwood potters will shape and fire the clay tiles. Artists will brush by hand the chosen glazes.
Then comes the fruit of his labor: After 24 hours in 1,884 degree heat,ceramic magic cube for the medical, Robinson’s colors will appear vivacious and glossy on the 25-foot-wide masterpiece.
“In the past, Rookwood was known for demure colors,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards,” says Robinson, a jovial man, with clear passion for art and pottery. “We’re trying to go bolder and brighter.”
The beauty and quality of today’s Rookwood pieces reflect the legacy of the historic brand, its artists say. But distinctly 2011 are its bright, modern, eco-friendly glazes and the unique designs by world-renowned 21st century potters.
“You’re not asked to come in and do the Rookwood style,” says DeMois. “Each artist is allowed his or her own expression. Rookwood has always been as much about the vision of the artists as the quality of the pottery.”
Though lawsuits against the Wades and a bankruptcy case filed by former investors persisted through mid-2011, DeMois stayed busy ramping up production so artists like Robinson could perform.
In April, he installed two electric kilns, capable of firing 100 cubic feet of product each. A gas-fired kiln is being installed now. The three machines increase capacity by 400 percent.
A press three times bigger than the existing press was also installed in April. It can shape the historic five-eighths-inch Rookwood architectural tiles. And in 2012, it will also shape a three-eighths inch tile, matching the thickness of most modern floor and wall coverings.
Just days before the holiday of hope and rebirth, the chief executive officer — the man who revived the iconic brand of art pottery after 50 years — was unexpectedly removed and replaced. The 131-year-old Cincinnati institution had failed to meet its financial commitments. Its future was in limbo.
Those talented men and women, many of whom joined the company from cities worldwide, were given the remainder of the year off to heal. They returned in January, led by new chief executive officer Chip DeMois, a former Rookwood consultant and Procter & Gamble executive.
As a fight over Rookwood’s ownership wound its way through the courts last year, DeMois’s team of world-class artists were quietly turning things around. Martin and Marilyn Wade became sole owners of the company in August and agreed to fund its operations through 2012.100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together. But DeMois expects to turn a profit sooner. He’ll grow the company seven-fold in five years; fifteen-fold in 10.
Armed with $1 million from the Wades, DeMois purchased state-of-the-art equipment to boost production. He hired at least 20 new artists, engineers and salespeople.Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, The team published its first catalogue in 100 years to help a new national sales force meet more aggressive targets. In mid-November, they had 17 active restoration projects and commissions – including a $1 million historic tile restoration in Chicago, a new line of cremation urns and a $25,000 custom-made tiled urinal for a Montana ranch.
Martin Wade did not respond to a request for comment on this article. But DeMois said the owners “told me to do good for Cincinnati and have fun. Don’t embarrass us. Make money.”
“Last year was our revival year,” he says. “This next year is really where we’re going to come out and aggressively expand our market.”
Creating new pieces, while honoring tradition
In the Glaze Lab at 1920 Race St., glass bottles filled with feldspar, titanium, cobalt and zinc line the wooden shelves.
Wearing rubber gloves, plastic chemist goggles and a long white lab coat one recent November day, Jim Robinson experiments with the contents, mixing up shades of blue, red and yellow glazes.
Robinson’s colors may appear on a ceramic mural titled “Seven Hills of Cincinnati,” proposed for the lobby of a Downtown office building. If the contract is awarded,Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings， a team of Rookwood potters will shape and fire the clay tiles. Artists will brush by hand the chosen glazes.
Then comes the fruit of his labor: After 24 hours in 1,884 degree heat,ceramic magic cube for the medical, Robinson’s colors will appear vivacious and glossy on the 25-foot-wide masterpiece.
“In the past, Rookwood was known for demure colors,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards,” says Robinson, a jovial man, with clear passion for art and pottery. “We’re trying to go bolder and brighter.”
The beauty and quality of today’s Rookwood pieces reflect the legacy of the historic brand, its artists say. But distinctly 2011 are its bright, modern, eco-friendly glazes and the unique designs by world-renowned 21st century potters.
“You’re not asked to come in and do the Rookwood style,” says DeMois. “Each artist is allowed his or her own expression. Rookwood has always been as much about the vision of the artists as the quality of the pottery.”
Though lawsuits against the Wades and a bankruptcy case filed by former investors persisted through mid-2011, DeMois stayed busy ramping up production so artists like Robinson could perform.
In April, he installed two electric kilns, capable of firing 100 cubic feet of product each. A gas-fired kiln is being installed now. The three machines increase capacity by 400 percent.
A press three times bigger than the existing press was also installed in April. It can shape the historic five-eighths-inch Rookwood architectural tiles. And in 2012, it will also shape a three-eighths inch tile, matching the thickness of most modern floor and wall coverings.
沒有留言:
張貼留言