By Terry and Kim Kovel Artists of all levels, critics and admirers alike have long wondered: What is art? Collectors of ceramics face a slightly more specific question: What is art pottery? To a collector, the term “art pottery” usually refers to a kind of pottery made in the U.S. from ...

This past week is designated as Climate Preparedness Week. Many organizations across the country host informative or practical events to better understand weather or to prepare for emergencies. Our big event each year is the New Ulm Emergency Preparedness Fair held, for the past two years, in ...

Identifying furniture can be tricky. Crediting a maker is often a matter of “style” or “attributed to.” Some makers’ names come to mean entire styles or time periods, like Chippendale for example. Some styles remain popular for centuries or get revived multiple times. Well-made copies ...

“Libraries are community treasure chests, loaded with a wealth of information available to everyone equally, and the key to that treasure chest is the library card. I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card.” – Laura Bush Library cards are indeed valuable. ...

According to the calendar, fall has arrived. I feel like summer just flew by this year. Maybe it was the rainy June that made it seem like it didn’t start when it should have. If you are looking for ideas to get you into the spirit of fall, you might like the following books. Canning and ...

In the late 19th century, interior decorator Louis Comfort Tiffany was in search of new colors to use in his leaded glass windows. He hired glassmaker Arthur J. Nash to make iridescent glass. The company was producing iridescent vases and accessories by 1894. It is said that Tiffany was ...