Scargo Pottery & Art Gallery

History

Scargo Pottery currently represents the work of eight different potters, each of whom essentially learned his or her craft on its grounds. The site of the pottery has evolved in tandem with its inhabitants and their works, mimicking the progression of the seasons which continually modify the natural setting in which the studio is located. It is no happenstance that this particular group of artisans find themselves working together; they are all family members.

The pottery opened in the summer of 1952 on Cape Cod by Harry Holl. The location was modest, and Holl displayed his works outdoors and inside the carriage house he had converted into a studio. The opportunity arose to move the location to a site located atop a hill overlooking historic Scargo Lake in Dennis, Harry began building the studio and its kiln, without disrupting the serenity of the environment. In fact his goal was to incorporate the best elements of this locale into his working space, so that the living and studio environments of the artist would converge. Holl was opposed to the traditional role of an artisan’s works being so far removed from the setting in which they were created. Seeking approval from the gallery contingent was not an endeavor he wished to pursue, as it seemed to disrupt the working energy of the artist and interfere with his direction. To make a living while maintaining such ideals of integrity was Harry’s challenge, and one that he has been uniquely lucky to enough to realize.

It is under these circumstances the Harry’s four daughters-Tina Holl-Nolan, Kim Holl, Mary Holl, and Sarah Holl, found themselves eventually working at Scargo. Growing up around such an atmosphere carries an obvious influence, and artistic pursuit was a part of their childhood. Their maternal Grandfather, Arnold Geissbuhler, was also an artist, most significantly a sculptor who studied in Paris during the bustling thirties and forties, where he met their grandmother who was studying the arts as well. This combined artistic heritage had a great impact on the Holl sisters, and the diversity of work at the shop attests to each artists individual development as separate from their sometimes collective identity. The shop is joined by another member who has contributed to the studio since 1983. Kevin Nolan began as an apprentice with Harry and became a family member through marriage. Often working in collaboration with his sisters-in-law, Kevin’s strong body of work provides another dynamic to the studio.

Harry Holl has been the anchor of Scargo Pottery since 1952. His tenacity and eagerness to teach and encourage others in the art of ceramics have created a progressive studio, supported by his family, which continues to grow under the influences of it’s members.

This information and more can be obtained from Scargo Pottery