President's Message
NDPCS Convention is right around the corner!
The NDPCS board of directors, executive council, and committee chairs held their spring meeting on Sunday, March 16, 2025, to prepare for our annual convention and meeting. The dates are June 13-15, and it will be held at the Holiday Inn in Fargo. I am looking forward to meeting and visiting with all of you and sharing our love of all things North Dakota Pottery!
“On behalf of the North Dakota Pottery Collector’s Society, I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our convention co-chairs, Linda Fiedler and Tara Holt for their dedication and hard work in planning an outstanding annual convention and meeting. Your efforts in organizing engaging activities and ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for all attendees at the Holiday Inn in Fargo, June 13-15, 2025, do not go unnoticed and are appreciated. Thank you for giving selflessly your time, energy, and commitment to making this event a success!” Please consider joining us in June. All members are welcome! You can find convention registration information at our webpage and in this newsletter.
If you are a first-timer at convention sign up for a chance to win a prize!
I understand there are openings for putting pottery items on our annual auction during the convention. If you have a piece of pottery you are willing to part with consider selling it on the auction.
Why do I continue my membership in NDPCS? My favorite part of this organization is being able spend time with others who enjoy collecting North Dakota pottery! The perfect time to do this is during our annual convention.
Until June,
Ann Dietchman
The Columbia River Historical Expedition
By Karen Midgarden
The UND pottery replica of the Astor Medal, cast in North Dakota clay, commemorates the explorers and pioneers who explored the northwestern United States. Between 1828 and 1867, Fort Union, founded by John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company was the most important fur trading post on the Upper Missouri River. Here, the Assiniboine and six other Northern Plains Tribes exchanged buffalo robes and smaller furs for cloth, guns, blankets, and beads. With the establishment of Fort Union, traders introduced the Upper Missouri River people to new materials, technologies, and supplies. As trading relationships expanded, the cultural exchange between the tribes and Euro-Americans intensified.
In 1832, the American Fur Company struck a number of medals bearing the image of John Jacob Astor, the company founder, to give to friendly Native Americans at Fort Union. Today, only seven silver and five copper medals are still known to exist. Most of them have a small hole in the top edge so they can be strung on a necklace. The pottery medal is a duplicate of the original strung on a necklace decorated with trade beads.
The Great Northern Railway invited distinguished guests to meet in Chicago in July 1926 for a railway trip roughly following pathways utilized by early explorers. Its state purpose was “visit historic places, hold memorial celebrations and dedicate appropriate monuments in honor of distinguished pathfinders and pioneers of the Northwest.” One stop was the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. The campus guests viewed a caravan of Metis oxcarts and Native American travois moving across the campus lawn. An exhibit from the UND School of Mines presented products made from North Dakota clay. In the evening, the Great Northern travelers enjoyed a salmon banquet in the University Commons where each traveler was presented with a souvenir replica of the Astor Medal. Modern technology permitted the event to be broadcast via radio.
[https://streamlinermemories.info/?p=5714 and https://www.nps.gov/fous/index.htm]
Above: Left photo is the front of pottery medal and the middle is the back. The far right photo shows the medal strung on a necklace decorated with trade beads.
Welcome to Fargo
The 36th ANNUAL NDPCS CONVENTION - FARGO, ND
Holiday Inn: 3803 13th Ave S
Hotel Reservations 701-282-2700
It’s April! Spring is trying to make its way to our doorsteps, but, overall, I’m not complaining too loudly about the past winter, and we can actually say…"past winter"!
I hope you are all setting your calendars for our convention in June, the 13th, 14th, and 15th. Our plans are coming together and Tara and I are excited for you to join us. The bus trip to Grand Forks, the auction and social will all be fun! It’s always good to see each other again and have an opportunity to chat about our pottery! Especially the adventures finding it!
If you haven’t, make your reservations today! Be sure to mention NDPCS Convention when registering. There is a block of rooms available. When calling the hotel, PRESS 0 when prompted, and you will talk to a person at the front desk of the Fargo Holiday Inn. All rooms are the same low price. Mostly single kings remain available, but there are still some double queens. Be sure to specify if you want a room closer to our event rooms when reserving your room. Remember your membership must be current in order to register and attend our convention! As always we are excited to be planning this year’s convention and hope you plan to join us!
See you all in June!
Linda Fiedler, Convention Chair
2025 Annual NDPCS Convention Agenda
Holiday Inn
3803 13th Ave S.
Fargo, ND 58103
Friday: June 13, 2025
4:00pm Room Check-in; Holiday Inn
3:30 - 5:00pm Registration Check-in; Commemorative Pick Up
5:30 - 8:00pm Welcome; Hors d'oeuvre Reception; Presentation TBD
8:00pm Room Visitations
Saturday: June 14, 2025
7:30am Board of Directors Meeting
8:45am Board Bus for Trip to Grand Forks
10:00am Browse the Gallery at UND; Visit the Foundation; Lunch
1:00pm Board Bus for Return Trip to Fargo
2:30pm Auction Set-up; Check In Items
3:00pm Auction Preview
3:30pm Auction Begins
6:00pm Social; Silent Auction; Banquet
8:00pm Program
9:00pm Room Visitations
Sunday: June 15, 2025
8:30am Coffee & Rolls
9:00am NDPCS Annual Member Meeting
Convention Potter: Jeff Bodwin
by Don Goerger
I have been asked to provide some information on our potter for our convention commemorative piece. Now there is a lot to be said of Jeff. He is well known locally and nationally for his work. Jeff mainly specializes in mugs. This past week (Sunday March 23rd) there was an article in the Fargo Forum on his interest in Solar panels for his shop. Which I guess is natural, since he is a professor of science at one of our local universities. That with his interest in making pottery, he is a very busy person. In spite of all that, we selected him. He didn’t try to sell us on what he thought we wanted, rather listened to what we wanted and worked from there.
As for Jeff and his various pottery activities, please google him at: Cusuncreations, Copper Sun Creations or just: Jeff Bodwin.
(A few photos found on “Copper Sun Creations” Facebook page. Jeff also has Instagram if you are so inclined to visit that platform. — Deanna Reynolds)
By now most applications for your commemorative should be in. I can see our way to extending the sales until 15th of April. We need time to process them all. We still have a number of items in stock. Also, we are adding a stand to display your item. No extra charge. Also, I might add, this year all the commemoratives are hand tossed by a local potter. As a result, there perhaps will not be any two exactly alike. Also, we will be mailing them out as usual as per our bylaws. They will be mailed out a day or two before the convention.
Last year, besides the normal Gold and Silver pieces, we accidentally included a special white one. I said there would no more accidents. Well, there isn’t one this year, I just could not have a herd Bison and not a single white one to honor our native friends. So, there will be one white bison to be auctioned off.
2025 Convention Auctions
Annual Auction 3:30 PM June 14th, 2025
Our annual auction brings in funds for members selling items and for our club. Please consider registering some of your items! Keep in mind that all items are sold without reserve. Members may submit up to 10 items. Auction registration deadline is April 30, 2025. Thank you!
Silent Auction 6:00 PM June 14th, 2025
A Silent Auction will be held during the social hour before the banquet program Saturday evening.1. Members who have put at least one item in the Saturday afternoon auction may submit one item for the Silent Auction. Item to be registered with the Auction Catalog Chair on the form (click blue button below for form).2. There will be a limit of 10 items in the Silent Auction. The first 10 items submitted will be accepted.3. Items must meet the same criteria as those in the Saturday afternoon auction. No duplicate items will be accepted.4. The owner may set a reserve which will be kept secret until the end of the auction. Items must have a reserve of at least $100 as bidding will begin at that amount. Bids must be in $10 increments.5. Silent Auction items must be delivered to the banquet room at 4:45 PM for check-in.6. Bidding will begin at 5 PM and close at 6 PM.7. NDPCS members who are registered for the convention may place bids.8. If the reserve is met, the item is sold. If not, the high bidder will be told the reserve and offered the opportunity to meet it. If the item is not sold, the owner may reclaim it at no cost to the owner.9. Winning bids will be announced during the program following dinner.10. The winner will write the check to the NDPCS. 90% of the selling price will be paid to the owner and the NDPCS will retain 10%.
Special Auction Pieces
By Dave Woods
This year we have some special donated items for a special auction. Ephraim Pottery of Lake Mills WI has donated a Cascade Cabinet Vase. All of their pottery is hand thrown and hand decorated. Please check their website for other great pottery that they produce. Greg Myroth of JustArtPottery.com has donated a UND curtain pull from the 1939 NDFWC. They sell a variety of pottery on their site so check them out as well. The Moorhead Antique Mall has donated a pair of Rosemeade Skunk S&P shakers.
All of the proceeds from these three items will go directly to the club. Thank you all for your donations!
Cascade Cabinet Vase
UND Curtain Pull
eBay Sale Highlights [last 60 days]
By Dave Woods
1. Rosemeade Hippo Bank $1502. Rosemeade King Pin Shaker $5163. UND 1935 Vase $12004. Rosemeade Wheat Ashtray $1555. UND Cable Vase $5566. UND Tile $395
