"Clay Times Three, the tale of three Nashville, Indiana, Potteries: Brown County Pottery, Martz Potteries, Brown County Hills Pottery" The book: The principal characters in the book hobnobbed with many well-known artists and ceramists of their day. Some of the personalities and potteries receiving brief mention in the book include: Curry Bohm, Marshall Studios (Jane and Gordon Martz--no relation to Karl and Becky), Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, Dale Bessire, Otto and Vivika Heino, Bybee Pottery, Ginny Marsh, American Art Clay Company (AMACO), Arthur Baggs, Richard Burkett, Jugtown Pottery, Cornelison, Harvey Littleton, Overbeck Pottery, Richard Peeler, John Mills.
by
Several years in the making, "Clay Times Three" is the authoritative reference on these potteries.
The author self-published the book in December 2009 and it was offered through several retail outlets in Indianapolis, Brown County, Bloomington and Elkhart, as well as directly via this Web site. Both a standard version and a deluxe limited-edition version (signed and numbered with price guide) were made available.
When Indiana University Press, Bloomington, contacted the author a few months after publication and expressed an interest in taking over as publisher, an agreement was reached and "Clay Times Three" was included in its fall 2010 catalog. As of August 2010, the book has been beautifully reissued by IU Press under its Quarry Books imprint. Therefore, only the remaining deluxe limited-edition books from the 2009 printing will be available through the author in the future.
"I am delighted that IU Press has taken over as publisher," McKimmie said. "Their fine reputation and broad distribution network will mean that the story of Brown County's potteries will reach a much larger audience."
Much has been written about Brown County and Nashville, Indiana, from its renowned art colony to its early settlers to the enduring lure of Brown County State Park. “Clay Times Three” adds yet another rich resource for those who are fascinated by what life was once like in the beautiful hills and valleys of Brown County, and are intrigued by the people who made their livelihood there. In this case, those talented and industrious people were the owners, potters and decorators who made both charming and nationally acclaimed pottery. The tale takes its players through the Great Depression of the 1930s, World War II, and into Nashville of the 1970s, when development was forever changing the face of the town. The story continues when Karl Martz (who headed Indiana University’s ceramics program for 32 years) and his wife Becky Brown Martz, also an accomplished potter, move to Bloomington and carry on their artistic work through the 1980s.
The Potteries and their dates of operation: Brown County Pottery (1932-1953); Martz Potteries (1935 through the 1980s); and Brown County Hills Pottery (1959-1969).