“H” is for Harris, Georgia (1905-1997)

Georgia Harris was born on the Catawba reservation near Rock Hill, the child of celebrated Catawba potters. She was educated at the Catawba Indian School where she reached her full strength as a potter. Offended by the low prices offered her for each vessel, she retired from making pottery. In 1973 the Columbia Museum of Art convinced her to build pots for a show and sale. Recalling the insulting prices of her youth, her pots were priced at the then unheard of level of $125. The show was a tremendous success and she decided to return to pottery to supplement her income—attracting collectors from around the world. After her death in 1997, Georgia Harris became the first posthumous recipient of the Nation’s Folk Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts.