Clay Deposits of the St. Louis Region

On October 5th, the Forest Park Clay Club (STLCC) invited me to present a lecture on the clays found in our region, a subject I have been researching for several years.

Initially, the idea for the presentation was digging “wild clays,” but to give context to the subject I found it necessary to highlight the region’s industrial past, and to dig into the details of clay manufacturing in the Cheltenham Fire Clay District from 1844-1939, the era in which St. Louis was producing brick, sewer pipe, roof tile, paving brick, and architectural terra-cotta amongst other wares.

Several historians have highlighted the fascinating stories around the clay industry, and there is much local lore shared, but as a potter and ceramics educator, I wanted to filter through the technical aspects of what was taking place and offer that story in terms that were relatable to those working with clay today.

This research is ongoing, and the next phase is to source materials ourselves with the Forest Park Clay Club. Please get in touch with me if you’d like me to bring this lecture to your school or interest group, and please get in touch if you have clay on your property that may be of interest. If you’d like to see the slideshow, click here.

A portrait of myself with an array of local ceramic materials, including loess based flower pots, architectural terra-cotta, face brick, sands, and shale.

A brick and sewer pipe factory in Cheltenham Fire Clay District, St. Louis, MO

Working with MoModerne

MoModerne has become an institution in St. Louis, MO. Starting from humble beginnings around 2010, they have grown into a regional hub for domestic design furnishings, art, and decor. When I moved back to St. Louis, MoModerne was about to open their first storefront on Cherokee street. Enthusiastically, my wife Janelle and I were there on their grand opening, and returned back the next day to purchase a wire rod framed sectional sofa with bamboo armrests and a bamboo framed junction table. The shop had a “cool” factor that gave us this warm fuzzy feeling. They were contributing to a sense that St. Louis City had this hidden gem quality, where artists and gritty characters operated under the radar…that you could be a part of if you knew. As we got settled back into St. Louis City, we started hunting for antiques and mid century treasures at estates sales. As it turned out, MoModerne was (and still is) operating their own estate sales alongside their storefront. We quickly became friendly acquaintances with the shop owners, Anna and Luby, both wonderfully interesting folks.

Fast forward about a decade: MoModerne has moved a few times, but seemed to have settled into the recently developed City Foundry in Mid-Town. This is their most ambitious shop to date, where they do their uniquely MoModerne thing, combining rare and unusual furnishings with the grit of St. Louis’s industrial past. Anna put out a call for local artists to work with, and I jumped. We had chatted for years about including my work in her shop, given the modernist influence that characterized my work. Please stop by to see my work in this real gem of a St. Louis shop.

Domestic scaled vases for MoModerne

Detail of Vase for MoModerne