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Ceramic Art Celebrates Local Heritage
By Elizabeth Head
Doug Ferguson mounting the quilt tiles in 1981
Click to enlarge
The sketch for the fountain with the quilt tile wall
Heritage Mosaic outside Blackwell Hall
The quilt tiles in Blackwell Hall today - click for detail
| Douglas Ferguson wrote a description of his heritage in 1979 for the dedication of the ceramic mural that he created and donated for the entrance to Blackwell Hall. - click for more |
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Though often overlooked by many students and faculty, the campus of Mars Hill College is decorated with the work of an alumnus who became one of the region's style-setting ceramic artists.
Douglas James Ferguson, born on a farm in a little place called Possum Trot in Yancey County, become a potter whose work, years after his death, is still sold worldwide. He created and donated several ceramic works on campus, including the big Heritage mural at the entrance to Blackwell Hall and the Appalachian quilt tiles in the lobby.
The quilt tiles, which once were part of the fountain in the quad, will be re-dedicated in their new location on October 13 as part of the college Sesquicentennial.
Douglas James Ferguson was born on July 18, 1912. He entered Mars Hill College in the fall of 1931, paying his tuition with vegetables from his family's farm -- a not uncommon practice for students at that time. He completed his studies, majoring in art, in 1933.
After working for the Tennessee Valley Authority in the ceramic research laboratory, he and his father-in-law founded Pigeon Forge Pottery in 1946. During his lifetime, people came from far and near to buy his pottery. He was even commissioned to create pottery for Queen Elizabeth. The business closed shortly after his death on February 14, 1999, but collectors still pay high prices for his work on e-bay.
In 1978, Mars Hill College was in the process of constructing Blackwell Hall in the heart of the campus. Ferguson graciously offered to create a piece of art for the college, to be placed in the new building. The unveiling and formal dedication of Ferguson's "Heritage" took place in September of 1979.
"My boyhood days in the mountains of North Carolina were terribly important to me," wrote Ferguson in "My Appalachian Heritage". "Everything that is depicted in this Appalachian mural is an artifact that I grew up with on a mountain farm in Yancey County."
The large mural, located in the doorway of the main entrance of Blackwell Hall, portrays many symbols of Ferguson's Appalachian memories. These include a churn, wood fire, spinning wheel, and farm wagon, to name a few. "At an early age I helped my mother by churning the butter in a yellow poplar handmade churn," he recalled. "The butter was pressed in a one-pound mold, which had a sweet birch leaf design. All surplus butter was sold to the country store."
"My Appalachian Heritage" goes on to describe Ferguson's personal connection to each symbol depicted in the "Heritage" mural. He also explains his connection to the Baptist faith, in which Mars Hill College is rooted. "Religion played a large part in mountain consciousness. I attended a Baptist meeting-house, a large one room building. In the evening the room was dimly lighted by a kerosene lamp on the organ and another on the pulpit. The body of the church was filled with plank benches."
In 1981, Ferguson made another generous offer to create a substantial piece of artwork for the college. This time the creation was a fountain, and he spent 15 months constructing it. It contained a wall of tiles, patterned after the quilts made by the early American pioneers. A total of 84 individual quilting designs were included in the 280 decorative tiles on the wall.
Ferguson said at the time that he selected subtle color tones and a vibrant blue to suggest "youthful gaiety….To me this is symbolic of the character of the students on the Mars Hill campus in springtime."
The fountain still stands in the quad, but the wall of tiles was removed five or six years ago. In the summer of 2003, the tiles were placed on the wall behind the reception desk inside Blackwell Hall.
In addition to the mural and the fountain, Ferguson's work can be found tucked into other parts of Mars Hill's campus. Some of his smaller pieces can be found in the President's suite on the third floor of Blackwell. Ferguson was also responsible for creating the Mars Hill College seal, done in high fire stoneware and located at the entrance to the college grounds.
Members of Ferguson's family, including his widow, Ruth Wilson Ferguson, and his niece, Naomi Ferguson, assistant director of human resources, are expected to attend the re-dedication ceremony for the quilt tiles.
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