Twenty-five years ago, Dean Webb was working at a bank inside of a Kroger in Tupelo and decided he wanted to do something else, so he went down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and learned how to make pottery. “And that’s how Midnite Pottery began,” said manager Christy Watson.
Webb named his pottery business “Midnite Pottery” because, for a while, he could only create his art late at night, so Midnite Pottery was born. Before opening the storefront off Gloster St. in Tupelo, Webb sold his pottery from his home.
Midnite Pottery is stone-fire-made pottery that is genuinely a Mississippi-made product. Everything is made in-house from start to finish, and most pieces are also functional stoneware.
Popular for their one-of-a-kind pottery and their beloved handprint art of customers’ children, the shop also offers workshops and private lessons given by local artisans.
“Our community is what built this business,” Christy Watson shared.
Community is everything in Mississippi, and Tupelo is surrounded by small communities that make up the greater area. One of those communities is Amory, Mississippi, and a few days ago, the charming town of Amory was devastated by an EF-5 tornado.
“To lose everything in one night is just heartbreaking. Amory, they are our neighbors and our friends, and we just want to help somehow,” Watson said.
“After checking on one another after the storm and learning of Amory’s tremendous loss, we asked, what can we do? How can we help?”
From now until Easter, all proceeds of any pottery purchase with a cross will go to Amory to help tornado victims and clean-up efforts. Midnite Pottery offers several ornaments, bowls, and other beautiful pottery pieces with crosses on them. “The cross is a symbol of love and hope to the current owner (Samantha Logan), and she wanted to spread that message of hope while also raising funds to help our neighbors.”
The cross ornaments are $4.50 each, or three ornaments for $14.00. Orders can be placed via phone or through their Facebook page, and Midnite Pottery will ship.
“We’ve had several people reach out and purchase pottery since announcing this. It’s a small gesture, but we just had to do something.”
No doubt about it, Midnite Pottery has been a Tupelo staple for years. Full of local artistry and charm, the heart of their business is just as beautiful as their pottery.
*All photos are courtesy of Midnite Pottery.
