The Studios & Gallery at
MT PLEASANT POTTERY
One of Tuscarawas County's Best-kept Secrets!
Off the beaten path in Dover, Ohio is a recently rehabbed one room schoolhouse that is truly a vault of hidden treasure. Here you can see local talent at its finest.
Its owners, Joseph & JoAnn Bower are artists that offer handmade pottery and stained glass as well as other items made by local artists.
After hearing of an upcoming special event here, the Empty Bowl Extravaganza III, I must admit I was intrigued. For a mere $22 bucks I could expand my cultural arts experience, enjoy the work of local artists, purchase items of my liking, and..of course..enjoy a very fine lunch consisting of four different soups, breads, beverage and sweets AND KEEP THE POTTERY IT WAS SERVED IN! Of course it was a no-brainer, I'M IN!
On Saturday, February 12, 2011, with a two car caravan arriving at seperate times and trusting the cell towers of southern ohio to allow me to get through to my navigation specialist, it was on! I had made it to Strasburg without my navigator and thought it would be easy to find a one room schoolhouse. Umm...NOT! After two dropped calls and some choppy conversation, I HAD IT! All I needed to do was follow 250 and go under the I-77 overpass. Follow that to the PEPSI SIGN FOR THE ROLLER RINK and turn right. Follow the road (it forks, but I made the right choice..I can smell a bargain!) about a mile until you pass a NOTARY PUBLIC sign and some trailers and it is a one room schoolhouse on the left. Whew! I made it.
What a pleasant surprise and well worth the trip!
What I saw was an awesome dated building that had once been an institution of learning to local school children. Imagining "Little House on the Prairie", I wondered what type of people attended here, where they are now, how this school had impacted their lives, and how long ago it had been used for this? I was also thankful to those who cherished the memories of this building and chose to restore it to its natural state.
After my historical daydream was over I began to take in my surroundings. Outside the building were several pieces of pottery displayed in various ways. There were stone seating arrangements and recycled sculptures made by local artists. I could see various stained glass pieces displayed in the windows. Oh, yeah, I'm gonna love it!
All this pleasure from outside could not possibly prepare me for what was going on inside. Greeted by the hostess I was immediately mezmerized by the contents of this ONE room! The artwork displays were tastefully arranged to showcase the most beautiful pieces of pottery, stained glass, jewelry, sculptures, etc. The atmosphere was very quaint, offering tables and seating arrangements for patrons to enjoy the special event. While panorama would have been better suited to show you just how cool it really is, you'll have to settle for T-Mobile and take my word for it:
Too totally cool!
My regrets, you ask?
That I didn't tell all my friends and make this is special outing for them all. My apologies, but I'm now on the mailing list and PROMISE you will ALL be invited to the next one!
The soup was delicious and I will cherish the memories of this visit every time I use my bowl! Here's what I chose:
And here's what I filled it with:
as an added bonus, we also received an accoustical serenade!
Thanks for the suggestion, Britt. It was a great experience!
THE REAL DIRECTIONS:
4040 Mt. Pleasant Rd NW
Dover, OH 44622
330-878-0012
I-77 South to the Strasburg / 250 exit and turn right. Go approximately one mile to Mt Pleasant Rd (this will be right past the PEPSI SIGN for the roller rink) and turn right. Go approximately 1 mile (this is right past the NOTARY PUBLIC sign) and the schoolhouse will be on your left.
HOURS OF OPERATION:
Wednesday - Saturday 10-5
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS:
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