UGLY MUG SHOW: TIFFANY VAN MOOY’S LAWRENCE SCHOOL 7th GRADERS | JANUARY 3 – JANUARY 31
Ceramic artwork and oil pastel paintings by seventh graders at the Lawrence School
Ugly Mugs:
An old American art form thought to have begun in South Carolina by African slaves who worked on plantations as potters. Ugly Mugs and Jugs were both functional and spiritual. Our student artists used additive and subtractive sculpture techniques to make their “Ugly Mugs”.
There are many stories about the purpose of ugly jugs, including:
- Distinguishing liquids: Folklore says that slaves made ugly jugs to distinguish liquids inside, such as kerosene, or alcohol.
- Burial: Research suggests that ugly jugs were placed on gravesites to scare away the devil and help the deceased’s soul reach heaven.
- Personal identity: Others suggest that ugly jugs reflect the complex responses of enslaved African Americans attempting to maintain their identities.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Falmouth Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
