Inside Delftware: Secrets, Stories, and the Women Who Shaped It Drayton Hall in Collaboration with the Charleston Library Society On February 19, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., the Charleston Library Society will present, Inside Delftware: Secrets, Stories, and the Women Who Shaped It Join author and distinguished decorative-arts advisor Genevieve Wheeler Brown and acclaimed ceramic artist Michelle Erickson for a lively, behind-the-scenes conversation inspired by Genevieve's new book Beyond Blue and White: The Hidden History of Delftware and the Women Behind the Iconic Ceramic. Together, they'll delve into the artistry, global influences, and enduring appeal of Delftware while spotlighting the remarkable women who shaped its history-from 17th-century pottery owners to the patrons and collectors whose taste helped define an international style. The discussion will draw on Genevieve's archival research, reflections on Drayton Hall's extraordinary Delft discoveries, and Michelle's perspective as a maker who reinvents historic techniques for today's world. This intimate dialogue connects past and present, revealing how the creativity, entrepreneurship, and curiosity of women across centuries continue to echo in contemporary craft. It's a rare opportunity to see how old ceramics don't merely endure-they spark new ideas, new perspectives, and new conversations. About Genevieve Wheeler Brown As a decorative art advisor and writer with over thirty years in the art world, including a decade with Christie's in New York and London, Genevieve Wheeler Brown has been actively involved in the community of Delftware. She has also participated on the Antiques Roadshow as an appraiser with an eye out for overlooked "treasure." In her role, she has held innumerable objects, from fake Stradivari violins to gold-mounted Faberge eggs, considering their value but also the stories they can tell. About Michelle Erickson Michelle Erickson is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a BFA in Fine and Performing Arts. An accomplished contemporary artist Erickson is internationally recognized for both making and historical scholarship. Michelle is a leading figure in reconstructing historic ceramic technology. Her ceramic artworks explore issues of child slavery, social and cultural identity, racial inequity and environmental geopolitics. Erickson is widely exhibited and published her artworks are in private and major museum collections across the United States and Britain. Michelle's practice in experimental archaeology has been incorporated into many exhibitions and programs, her scholarship concerning the discovery of colonial era ceramic techniques is well documented in several volumes of the annual journal Ceramics In America, edited by Robert Hunter and published by the Chipstone Foundation. Michelle has produced ceramics for major motion pictures such as The Patriot The Time Machine and HBO series John Adams. In 2012 Erickson was artist in Residence at the Victoria Albert Museum in the category of World Class Maker. Her most recent solo exhibitions include Wild Porcelain at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco's Legion of Honor 2021-2023. and Recasting Colonialism at Baltimore Museum of Art May- October 2023. Erickson's depth of historical reference and technological virtuosity distinguish her unique career as an American artist working in clay. Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 6pm Location: Charleston Library Society, 164 King Street, Charleston, SC Tickets can be purchased through Charleston Library Society. Link below. TICKETS