George Ohr Portrait of an Artist

The mad potter of Biloxi, George Ohr

It has taken over 100 years, but the man known as the Mad Potter of Biloxi finally is getting all the recognition he deserves. As MPB arts reporter Ron Brown tells us, the latest posthumous honor for George Ohr is induction into the Mississippi Hall of Fame.

George Edgar Ohr told anyone who would listen that he was the greatest potter in the world. But the world was slow to accept his boastful claim. Born in Biloxi in 1857, there was nothing quite like George Ohr before him, and many will argue there has been nothing quite like him since his death in 1918.

Fame and fortune eluded George Ohr during his lifetime. It wasn’t until the late 1960’s that the art world finally caught up with Ohr’s artistic mastery and began praising him as an indisputable genius.

Four great granddaughters and one great-great-great grandson stood anxiously before a covered canvas in the House of Representatives Chamber of the Old Capital in Jackson Sunday afternoon. And with the pull of a string, the chamber filled with adoring applause as a stunning new portrait was unveiled.

The portrait will hang in the Old Capital now that George Ohr is in the Mississippi Hall of Fame.
Paula Ohr-Rutland says even after 157 years, it’s a proud family achievement.

“He was my great grandfather. It’s such an honor. And it’s exciting for us as a family. I’m just thrilled to death. I can see my brother in his eyes, I can see my brother’s son in his eyes.”

Adrian Rutland is 11 years old. “He is my great-great-great grandfather. Isn’t it three? Okay, I thought so. One day I just asked grandma, because a kid in our class, he has a relative who’s a celebrity or something like that, and I asked, “am I related to anyone famous?” and that was like two years ago and I just found that out like two years ago, so, it’s nice.”

Phyllis Allen says being a relative of the world’s greatest potter has other advantages as well.

“My mother was a granddaughter. I’m a great granddaughter. My mother went and got five pieces so we do have a few pieces of the pottery too, which is great. It’s too expensive to buy otherwise.”

An individual piece of George Ohr pottery sells for tens of thousands of dollars today. They’re intricate, original and often abstract works of art.

“He was eccentric and unique and an amazing talent.”

Malcolm White is the Executive Director of the Mississippi Arts Commission. He delivered the address at the George Ohr portrait unveiling.

“What an honor to have one of our very own creative spirits inducted into the archives and history hall of fame. It is very meaningful to have visual artists, graphic artists involved. And it is a great honor for the arts commission, for the family, the Ohr family. It is a very magical moment.”

The 24 by 30 inch portrait is painted with oils on a linen canvas. Artist Katherine Buchanan worked from a well known image of George Ohr who is standing with arms folded across his chest. But she found the photo a bit lacking in detail. So she employed a stand in.

“Well, I really didn’t have enough information to get the portrait the way I wanted it, so I used my husband’s, and I must say muscular, arms for the reference for his folded arms, because you know you could see the veins and it helps you to bring it to life, to add some life to it. And I also used eye references from different photos of George Ohr, photographs where I could see his eyes better.”

Ohr is the 122nd member of that exclusive club. He joins other Mississippi notables such as Eudora Welty, and Richard Wright in the hall of fame.

“It’s really a nice recognition and an appropriate one for George Ohr.”

Jerry O’Keefe is on the board of trustees at the new Ohr-O’Keefe Museum currently under construction in Biloxi, where the accolades will continue well into the future… just as George Ohr once predicted, some one hundred years ago.

“He was crazy like a fox, as they say. He brought a lot of attention to himself, and he did it in a unique way. That’s all part of George Ohr, a really integral part. I think the biggest lesson that we can get , it takes perseverance, and it takes self confidence.”

Because he is a new inductee, the George Ohr painting will look out at visitors to the Old Capital Museum from the south side of the third floor. It will remain there for a year until the next round of inductees are included. For MPB News, I’m Ron Brown