McCarty Pottery
Lee McCarty thought his life legacy would be to mold young minds as a teacher;
instead, he and his wife, Pup, have left their mark on the bottom of clay
creations that have come to be known around the world. In the late 1940s, while
Lee worked as a teacher at the demonstration school at the University of
Mississippi, Pup fell in love with pottery. She took pottery classes for fun as
an outlet to quench her creative thirst, as she became more involved in art, Lee
became immersed in her inspiration as well.
What started as a hobby soon became a lifestyle for Lee; a science teacher by
profession and artist by trade, his occupation opened Lee to a relationship with
William Faulkner, who offered Lee unlimited access to the clay ravine behind his
Rowan Oak plantation. This gave Lee and Pup all the needed supplies required to
continue their creative work. Lee’s background in science also aided him as an
artist, as he developed the signature glazes used by the McCartys including
nutmeg brown, cobalt blue, and jade.
In the early 1950s, Lee and Pup moved to Lee’s hometown of Merigold, Mississippi
after Lee took a job as a science teacher at Shelby High School. The search
began for a location to construct a pottery studio; Lee’s “Aunt” Margaret Smith
offered the couple her old mule barn, which they converted into a studio
downstairs and living quarters on the upper level. It was not always the best of
situations, freezing in the winter and sweating in the blistering heat during
the summer, but they made do. In 1953, Pup began plotting an eclectic three-acre
garden that married nature and art around the old barn. In August 1954, Lee
retired from teaching and he and Pup became full-time artists; it was then that
McCartys’ Pottery was formed. They never expected to build a business but were
driven to succeed by their desire to have a simple and artistic lifestyle. That
desire transpired into the ambiance of McCarty studio, simple elegance, which is
still carried on today.
Their work is unique in that no two pieces are just alike. The commonality of
McCarty art is the Mighty Mississippi River, represented by a black wavy line,
and the McCarty signature, both trademarks found on each piece of McCarty
pottery, along with the hands that threw them. Their work is acclaimed
worldwide; McCarty Pottery can be found in the Smithsonian art gallery and has
been in exhibits as far away as Tokyo, Japan. The McCartys were honored with a
Lifetime Achievement Award by the Institute of Arts and Letters in 1996. The
McCartys were also honored with exhibits for talent and achievement in art by
the University of Mississippi and University of Florida in the 1990s.
The McCarty Pottery studio in Merigold is still home to Lee McCarty, making it
convenient for him to greet guests who venture from far and wide to catch a
glimpse of what McCartys’ Pottery is all about. The gardens remain a symbol of
friendship and love remembering the late Pup McCarty who passed away in February
2009. A short walk from the gardens is The Gallery restaurant, owned and
operated by the McCarty family, which features southern favorites and recipes by
Lee McCarty. The restaurant exudes the atmosphere of simple elegance and has
become a beacon of southern formality offering a perfect spot for afternoon tea
or an elegant event. The pottery and restaurant are operated by Lee McCarty and
his god sons, Jamie and Stephen Smith, who were raised in the McCarty home,
returned to Merigold in 1998, and are in place to carry on the McCarty legacy.
Stephen manages the businesses while Jamie, a potter, works with “Uncle Lee” on
new artistic creations such as the recently introduced McCarty Black Eyed Pea
serving dish.
McCarty Pottery was started as a family business with husband and wife
side-by-side throwing pottery together and creating a name that is now
synonymous with Merigold and the Mississippi Delta. Each McCarty creation has a
history that starts with the Mississippi Delta. The studio in Merigold is the
only location where McCarty Pottery is made and will continue in that tradition
even into the next generations. McCarty creations can be found throughout
Mississippi, Memphis, and Little Rock.
It is no mistake running across the McCarty studio or The Gallery restaurant
tucked deep inside the heart of the Delta with no signs to guide your way. It
requires a purposeful trek and well plotted Mississippi map, but even with no
signs or advertisements, McCartys’ Pottery lives on and people from across the
nation flock to Merigold, home of the famed McCarty creations, to take away a
piece of Mississippi culture. August 2009 will mark the 55th anniversary for
McCartys’ Pottery and the continuing celebration of a longstanding tradition of
art and cultural heritage.
For more information on McCarty Pottery, please visit: www.mccartyspottery.com