Van
Briggle Pottery, established in 1899, is one of the oldest active art
potteries in the United States. Founded by Artus Van Briggle, of
Holland Dutch descent, Van Briggle Pottery has been considered one of
the great American art potteries for over a century.
Artus came to Colorado Springs after
years of training at distinguished potteries and art academies in the
United States and in Europe. He and his wife Anne, also an accomplished
artist, began a tradition of making fine pottery which quickly swept
the western art world. Though gifted in many areas of artistic
expression, it was in clay and glaze where their
considerable talents flourished. Ultimately their Art Nouveau designs
and satin mat glazes received the highest awards of the day. Numerous
awards were conferred upon Van Briggle works by such juries as the
Paris Salon, the Saint Louis Exhibition, the Lewis and Clark
Centennial, and the Arts & Crafts Exhibition in Boston.