Ada Wilt Lonnegan (aka Mrs. George F.) (1879–1963) designer; Joseph Fortune Meyer (1848–1931), New Orleans, LA) potter; Vase with Hollyhock Design,1901; underglaze with glossy finish on white clay body; Newcomb Art Museum, 2009.5.1

Anna "Fanny" Frances Connor Simpson 1880–1930), Vase with Cypress Pine Wood Design,1912; green underglaze with matte finish on buff clay body; Newcomb Art Museum, 2010.12.54

The Moss Mystique: Southern Women and
Newcomb Pottery

February 5–December 4, 2026
Opening reception March 5, 2026

In 1895, the art department of H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, a women’s school in New Orleans, established Newcomb College Pottery to allow graduates to apply their design training and earn an income. Decorators embellished functional wares with imagery drawn from regional flora and landscapes, while vessels were thrown by hired craftsmen using locally sourced clays. Promoted nationally and internationally as a distinctive expression of the American South, the pottery emphasized themes of geographic distance from industrialized northern cities and evoked romanticized visions of the region through motifs such as moss-draped oaks and cypress trees familiar from literature of the period.

Although the pottery’s aesthetic evolved and expanded into other media over time, its emphasis on Southern identity persisted until its closure in 1939. Drawn from the permanent collection of the Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University, this exhibition examines how these works helped construct and circulate enduring ideas about the American South.

This exhibition is curated by Dr. Elyse D. Gerstenecker, curator of decorative arts at Telfair Art Museums. It is organized by Telfair Art Museums and the Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University.

Bailey Class; Newcomb decorators in the Washington Avenue campus ceramics studio, ca. 1905–06. Collection of Newcomb Archives.

Making Her Mark

February 5–May 15, 2026

Making Her Mark traces the stages of pottery production within the Newcomb Pottery business model. Graduates of the Newcomb College art program created decorative ceramic wares that were sold in an on-site gallery, exhibited at world’s fairs, and distributed nationally. Committed to handcraft and design amid the Industrial Revolution, the enterprise demonstrated how art and production could be integrated into a viable commercial model. As founder Ellsworth Woodward stated, the pottery aimed to “furnish employment for those trained and qualified” and to prove “art a practical matter related to the world of affairs.” While decorative pottery movements flourished in England and the northeastern 

United States, Newcomb Pottery was distinctive for its Deep South location, its ties to a college program, and its base in New Orleans—a global port city that facilitated national and international reach. The exhibition documents the full scope of this enterprise, from classroom training and production to bookkeeping and sales. Over its 53-year history, Newcomb Pottery employed more than 90 women artists and produced over 70,000 unique works.

Making Her Mark is co-curated by Sierra Polisar, Head of Collections, and Kendyll Gross, Assistant Curator, at the Newcomb Art Museum.

Open through Friday, Jan. 16, 2026

There is still time to view our 2025 Exhibitions, Poetic Gaps: Opacity in the Photographic Imprint (Curated by Fei Xie and Kaillee Coleman, Curatorial Assistants at Newcomb Art Museum) and it takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig (Curated by The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University).

Image: Jordan Ann Craig. Dyed Quills no. 2, Don't Quill the Vibe, 2023. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of a Private Collection.

Buffalo Pan-American Display Case, circa 1900; wood, glass, 71 x 60 x 26 in.; Gift of the Newcomb Alumnae Association; FIC2015.584

Newcomb Pottery is a cornerstone of the Newcomb Art Museum’s permanent collection, exemplifying the distinctive artistic vision and craftsmanship developed at Newcomb College. Featured prominently in Making Her Mark and The Moss Mystique: Southern Women and Newcomb Pottery, these ceramics often serve as an entry point for museum visitors and help orient audiences to the museum’s broader mission. The permanent collection, however, also comprises more than 8,000 objects, including sculpture, painting, photography, and other decorative arts.

Many works in the collection require conservation to ensure their long-term preservation. Beginning in February, the museum will launch our Adopt-A-Pot conservation program—the first in a series of fundraising initiatives dedicated to supporting the care and treatment of both historic and contemporary ceramics in NAM’s collection. As we explore the legacy of Newcomb Pottery, we invite you to help preserve these traditions, which offer vital insight into the museum’s institutional history and the artistic ecosystem of New Orleans and the Gulf South. More information to come!

Marie Odelle Delavigne, Wall hanging with pine forest design, 1902–05, New Orleans, LA. Silk thread in running and outline stitches on woven linen. Newcomb Art Museum at Tulane University, 1973.21-DMA.

Newcomb Art Museum has been awarded the Decorative Arts Trust’s Dean F. Failey Grant in support of its Fall 2026 exhibition, Quiet Reserve: Stitching an Ambitious New Woman.

Curated by Graduate Curatorial Assistant Sarah Brokenborough, the exhibition explores how Newcomb College students used needlework to reshape women’s artistic and professional identities in the New South. Drawing on research from the 1884 Cotton Centennial, 

Quiet Reserve situates Newcomb embroidery within the rise of regional craft industries and reveals new transnational influences, including connections to Jamaican lacebark. Featuring textiles, sketches, and tools, the exhibition highlights Newcomb’s innovative use of materials, precise techniques, and vibrant Tussah silk threads.

The Dean F. Failey Grant supports outstanding scholarship and exhibitions in decorative arts and material culture.

Newcomb Art Museum is thrilled to announce the launch of a new arts writing initiative. Slip is an arts writing platform serving audiences in and beyond New Orleans with an interest in fine art, craft, and material culture. Slip aims to support and stimulate the local arts ecosystem through the publication of exhibition reviews, artist profiles, studio visit write-ups, and more. We believe that this regular critical engagement enriches conversation and cultural production for artists, writers, and readers alike.  Visit slipartmagazine.com to learn more.

Once a month, we're sharing an interesting piece of artwork from the museum's vast collection. This month, we're celebrating New Orleans Carnival! View the image online and see more from this artist!

Image: Morris Henry Hobbs (1892–1976); Mardi Gras on Royal Street, Old New Orleans, 1940; ink on paper; 1982.14-P

Explore the Collections

View Current Exhibitions

Public Programs

Newcomb Art Museum offers guided tours and an array of public programs, all free of charge. Designed around the salient themes and images of each exhibition, such activities speak to an array of community and campus interests. https://newcombartmuseum.tulane.edu/programs/

For more information on events and current exhibitions, visit: newcombartmuseum.tulane.edu

Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane is Free and Open to the Public.
The museum will be closed Jan. 27 – Feb. 4 during installation of our new exhibition.
Regular Hours: Monday – Friday 10 AM - 5 PM | Saturday 11 AM - 4 PM | Sunday CLOSED

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