Date of Graduation

1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Geology and Geography

Committee Chair

Robert Hanham

Committee Member

Trevor Harris

Committee Member

Alison Hanham

Abstract

Recent Scholarship in geography explores the cultural identity of place by analyzing literature, music and art, but few scholars have studied pottery art, one of the oldest forms of art making. This study of Seagrove, a small central North Carolina town with a long tradition of locally produced pottery, examines the way place identity develops, is presented, takes multiple forms, and is contested through pottery art. Further, it explores the concept of institutionalized place identity by analyzing the impact of a new Pottery Center and Museum in this town. The research has carried out by means of open-ended interviews with residents, analysis of public documents and private archives, participant observation, and the interpretation of local pottery.

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