If you’ve visited one of JNPA’s stores at our national park partner sites, you may have noticed some unique ceramic mugs on our store shelves. They usually bear the park’s name on a special medallion emblazoned on one side. Chances are these beautiful mugs came from Deneen Pottery, a small production house in Minnesota that makes custom pottery for parks, museums, restaurants, and colleges.
JNPA has partnered with Deneen for many years. We know our customers appreciate the beauty and craftmanship of the company’s mugs, each of which is handmade. They also enjoy the feel of the glazed stoneware in their hands, as well as the sturdy handle.
We recently took a tour of the Deneen factory in St. Paul, MN, and watched the mug production process – starting with lumps of clay…progressing to wheel-thrown shapes… to the application of handles and medallions…to final glazing. All in all, more than 24 craftsmen have a role in creating each mug – a far cry from the machine-made mugs most factories turn out.
“We think our customers appreciate the fact that these mugs are made in America by skilled craftspeople who care about quality,” says Rick Trigg, JNPA’s Retail Operations Manager.
Among our park stores that feature Deneen mugs are those at Ste. Genevieve National Historic Site, Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, and Gateway Arch National Park.
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