The Mad Potter

There must be sonething in the air of the Gulf Coast or maybe it's the iodine from the salty breezes. Whatever the cause, the Mississippi Gulf Coast has some notably eccentric famous artists. George Ohr, known as the 'Mad Potter', is one of them.

George Ohr


His picture will give you some idea of the type of pottery he is known for. I have been to the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum many times and enjoy every minute of it. Not only is there a fine collection of Ohr's creations but the museum also showcases local painters and photographers.

The following pictures are from the Smithsonian. The collection that the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum has many more.

Some 85 years after his death, Ohr is no longer dismissed as mad. Hailed as a "clay prophet" and "the Picasso of art pottery," the self-styled eccentric is being praised and honored as he predicted. In January 2006, his startling ceramics will be showcased in a new $25 million Biloxi arts center designed by celebrated architect Frank O. Gehry, whose swirling silver Guggenheim Museum put Bilbao, Spain, on the cultural map. The Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is named in honor of former Biloxi mayor Jeremiah O'Keefe and his late wife, Annette.Smithsonian

I like that. Ohr "the Picasso of art pottery". His work is fun to look at and the pictures really don't do justice to the colors. The shapes of his creations reflect the light in unusual ways and enhance the charm. It's fun meanedering through the museum and learning interesting tid-bits. He used to ride his bike throughout Biloxi. Can you imagine what it must have been like for Biloxians in the early part of the 20th century to see Ohr with that huge mustache and crossed eyes riding his bike?