Symposium

Each year, on a Saturday  in Spring, the Cowan Pottery Symposium is held at the Rocky River Public Library.  The Symposium is organized by the Cowan Pottery Museum curator and Rocky River Public Library staff and is co-sponsored by CPMA. Symposium sessions are open to all and there is no charge for admission. The Symposium program is intended for all who are interested in Cowan Pottery, its connections with the  Cleveland School art movement, later work of Cowan artists, local history, art pottery and antiques collecting, or the arts in general.

Each year, the all-day Symposium program includes presentations by noted experts in decorative arts, art history and the role of R. Guy Cowan’s venture in the contemporary Cleveland environment. Other activities at the Symposium include news from collectors on new discoveries, acquisitions and restoration projects, and the Annual R. Guy Cowan Scholarship presentation.

The weekend of the Symposium also includes a post-event dinner gathering and is also a time for CPMA to present fundraising events such as sale or auctions of Cowan pottery items and to conduct its Annual Meeting

Following a determination by the Museum Curator to no longer organize the Annual Symposium co-sponsored by CPMA, in favor of resources for other activities, it was decided that the annual event would continue in 2024 under CPMA’s sole sponsorship and management. Rocky River Public Library generously agreed that the event would continue to be held at the Library.

The 32^nd Symposium took place on Saturday April 20^th 2024. Program details are shown here. We are pleased to report that there were more than 50 attendees and that proceeds from the raffle and from sales of some donated Cowan pieces were sufficient to cover the expenses for this free event.

A surprise addition to the Symposium program was a photo-op with this original door from the Lake Avenue Cowan Pottery site. Fortunately the door was removed from the building and donated to CPMA before the recent fire and resultant demolition of the historic structures.

In 2025 the 33rd Symposium will take place on Saturday, April 26th. Check back here or on the Cowan Pottery Museum Associates Facebook page where symposium details will be posted in the early 2025.