Elaine Lamb marks 50 years of Mud Mothers pottery with Oct. 17-18 studio sale in Medina

While researching stories about the restoration of Uptown Medina, the history of Candlelight Walk and Medina’s artistic legacy, I often hear, “You should talk to Elaine Lamb.” I had the opportunity to do that while discussing her upcoming 50th Anniversary Mud Mothers Pottery Sale.

The exclusive sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 17 and 18 at her studio, 140 Highland Court, #12, Medina. Guests may park across the street at Walgreens and enjoy light appetizers, drinks and refreshments. The sale will feature a diverse range of clay and porcelain creations, spanning from the 1970s to the present.

While discussing how Elaine developed as an artist, from working to support her family to becoming a renowned artist, I discovered how her vision went beyond clay to help sculpt the Medina we enjoy today.

Her dedication to Medina began in the early 1960s, when she moved to the South Court Historic Neighborhood and began restoring a Victorian home built by Maria and Paul Parker in 1881. Her interest in preserving the city’s historical beauty expanded as she joined several other women in opposing a plan by county commissioners to tear down Medina’s 1841 courthouse and replace it with a modern structure. After helping save the historic building, she became a founding member of the Medina Community Design Committee (CDC), which consisted of artists and members of the business community. Over the following decades, they played a pivotal role in restoring Uptown storefronts and the square to their Victorian-era splendor.

She stayed on the committee while also serving on the original Main Street Medina and Historical Preservation boards until 2023. She remains a member of the Medina County Art League, the Medina/Summit Chapter of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and, more recently, the Medina Mavens advocacy group.

Elaine was also influential in the creation of one of Medina’s most beloved annual traditions, Candlelight Walk. In the early 1980s, she encouraged other shop owners to place white paper luminarias in front of their shops on the Saturday before Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday shopping season. It was initially called Victorian Christmas, then Old-Fashioned Christmas, and finally Candlelight Walk. In 1984, the Medina Chamber of Commerce stepped in to help the retailers and extended the event to three days. They added luminarias along all walkways in the square, a parade and fireworks. The event, now run by Main Street Medina, attracts up to 50,000 people.

Elaine earned a nursing degree at Ohio State University but set that career aside to raise her three daughters. At the same time, she began nurturing her creative side by taking pottery classes with her friend, Sarah Ingraham.

“People come into your life at the right time. Sarah was one of the first people I met after moving to Medina,” she said.

Encouraged by selling their early artwork at the 1974 Art in the Park, the pair opened a small pottery shop in Medina’s Victorian Village (now the parking garage across from the Medina library).

“As you start from nothing, you create to make a living. You work for bread and butter, and later you can be more creative. We made hundreds of Christmas ornaments,” said Lamb, showing a piece marked “Christmas 1975.”

Lamb and Ingraham named their business Mud Mothers. “We each had three daughters. Mine ranged in age from five to a teenager. Our kids were in our studio, playing ‘Sit and Spin’ on our foot-driven pottery wheel and playing with the flywheel. We even took them to our art shows.”

They began receiving art awards and exhibited their work at the O’Neil’s Downtown Akron showcase gallery. Lamb, recently divorced, was proud of turning a hobby into a business that could support her family. “I never took a loan; I wanted to be independent.”

The next person to come into her life at the right time was Bill Lamb, a teacher at Ella Canavan Elementary School. They met at her daughter’s parent-teacher conference and were married in December 1979.

Inspired by Elaine’s community involvement, Bill campaigned for mayor and, in 1982, became Medina’s youngest mayor at 28. He served two terms, from 1988 to 1990, and then as a City Council member from 2012 to 2021.

Elaine continued to refine her craft, employing new techniques to create pieces that are both artistically whimsical and functional. She participated in 15 to 20 juried art shows each year and received more than 50 awards. She and Ingraham decided to follow different artistic paths, while remaining friends.

In 1981, Elaine opened a gallery at 241 S. Court St., now the Rasberry and Rose clothing store. After about 19 years, as her porcelain pieces required more careful monitoring during processing, she relocated the studio to her home. She continued living there until 2023, when she and Bill sold the house to move to the North Carolina mountains. Recently, they were drawn back to Medina and set up her studio on Highland Court.

None of Elaine’s three daughters became artists, but they followed her example of pursuing financial independence by earning advanced degrees. She now has three grandchildren, some of whom assist her at art fairs, and she is expecting a great-grandchild.

After selling much of her collection at the upcoming sale, Elaine says she is now at a place in her life where she can work more creatively. She added, “When you do what you love, it’s not work.”

For more information about the sale, email enblamb@gmail.com or call 330-421-7432.