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01/23/2017 11:00 PMIt was everyone’s perfect place to find gifts, register for weddings, and discover artisans half a world away. But after nearly 30 years of bringing fine ceramics to Chester, Ceramica will be closing in early 2017. An official closing date has not been announced yet, but as of Jan. 7 all merchandise, excluding the LeWitt collection, has been marked 20 percent off in preparation of the impending final day.
Ceramica was opened by Carol LeWitt, wife of American artist Sol LeWitt, most known for his ties to the Conceptual and Minimalist movements, and as the mastermind behind the Chester synagogue. LeWitt opened the store first in Little Italy, importing handcrafted ceramics from Umbria, Tuscany, and Amalfi, and for a time, pottery and furnishings from Morocco. They moved the store here when the LeWitts and their two daughters moved to Chester. Though it originally only occupied the smaller space to the right of the main entrance from the street, within a year and a half the store had expanded into the full space that most patrons would recognize today.
“The store started small and then grew as American interests in Italian hill-towns grew,” said Michele Procko, who has worked for Ceramica since shortly after it opened in Chester. “Originally, when Americans went to Italy they went to Rome, or Florence, or Venice. But as they traveled through different areas they wanted to recreate that particular look in their own homes.”
That look, according to Procko, was the distinctive, brightly colored, hand-painted designs on an opaque white glaze. While there are a lot of commonalities to the pottery from the Mediterranean region—agriculturally themed designs, and the use of vivid blues, greens, and ochres, the Italians referred to their pottery as Maiolica. The same techniques used 600 years ago when artisans first discovered the technique of applying a glaze whitened with tin oxide to fired clay, and then painting over it, are still used today to make the pieces Ceramica specialized in for decades, though some updates have been made to the materials used, of course.
According to Procko, Ceramica expanded to different locations in Connecticut and New York, but over time the Internet became the focus of growth and ceramicadirect.com website was launched. But LeWitt and the other members of the shop’s staff have always been appreciative of the support that they received from the community for years.
“We have seen couples register for their wedding gifts 25 to 30 years ago, and then they have kids, and the kids went on to register for their own gifts, remembering what they grew up with,” said Procko. “And now we’ve even seen the grandchildren come in to register as well.”
“People just knew that if they needed that something, that special gift for a teacher, or a wedding gift, they would be sure to find it here,” continued Procko. “And there was always something for any budget, too. We carried different, unique items ranging from the $1600 platter, to a $12 decorative hook – there was something for everyone.”
But, as all things must eventually change, Ceramica’s time in the village has come to its own end.
“It’s very important to Carol that Chester remain as vibrant and exciting a village as it has been,” said Procko. “We’ve been preparing to close for the last year, slowing down the purchasing, bringing in more from estate sales and antique shops. It’s kind of just time.”
“Young people do not seem to be registering for fine collections of things, they’re more into experiences than collecting things, and there’s been a trend away from registering,” continued Procko. “Also, when you’ve been in a neighborhood of small towns for 30 years, you saturate the neighborhood.”
Procko additionally noted that there has been a struggle in Italy where the pieces are made, as well. When the exchange rate changed and the buying power of the dollar weakened, American tourists did not buy as much, and that change hurt the artisans.
“A lot of people have been coming in to say goodbye, and how important the store was to them, how it was their favorite place to get gifts,” said Procko.
While the CeramicaDirect website will soon be shut down along with the store, the Sol LeWitt Studio line of Italian ceramics will still be available through museum shops, Art Ware Editions, and a yet to be launched dedicated website.
“We started small, we grew, and then we really grew, and now things have slowed down,” said Procko. “It’s time for the next new, fun thing.”