Although the greater Ann Arbor area has enjoyed low crime rates, extraordinary criminal acts have occasionally pierced its calm and quiet. James Thomas Mann presents his latest book Murder & Mayhem in Washtenaw County, a tour into some of the darkest corners of our area's past.

Movie attendance plummeted during the Hard Times of the 1930s. Savvy marketers at Salem China and other potteries sold theater managers on the idea of giving away free dishes to women to attract viewers. “Dish Night” promotions were wildly successful. Salem sold train cars full of their now-famous Tricorne pattern to theaters. “Free to each lady” offers brought colorful dinnerware into Depression era homes, controversy to the movie business, and even riots when too many gravy boats appeared.

The Saenger Porcelain tabletop designs grew organically from the designer’s exploration of the ceramic casting process. He will cover highlights of the journey during his studio presentation, part of the IMoDD Unforgettable Dinnerware lecture series. Presented by Peter Saenger, designer.

This event is in partnership with the International Museum of Dinnerware Design.

In this presentation based on her new book, Detroit Tiki, join author Renee Tadey on a journey through the history of tiki-themed destinations in Detroit.

The International Museum of Dinnerware Design was established in 2012. On its tenth anniversary, Margaret Carney, the director and curator of the museum, will share stories of delicious exhibitions, interweaving culinary delights along the way.

Margaret Carney is a ceramic historian who holds a Ph.D. in Asian art history. Curated IMDD exhibitions include The Art of High Chair Fine Dining, Cake, Butter, Breakfast and the upcoming 2023 invitational and juried exhibition, Entomophagous Dining.

Journalist Micheline Maynard will discuss her new book, Satisfaction Guaranteed: How Zingerman's Built a Corner Deli into a Global Food Community. Certain businesses are legendary, exerting immense influence in their field. Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is one of those places.

Biography as it's usually practiced rarely pauses at the kitchen table to examine the food. Yet ordinary meals give us an incomparable vantage point on anybody's life, whether it's a person who loves to eat or a person who couldn't care less. After all, food happens every day; it's associated with every appetite, and it's entangled with all the social and economic conditions that bear upon our days.

Join us for a virtual visit to Julia Galloway’s studio where the potter will share through conversation and demonstration how she makes dinnerware from beginning to end. This includes idea development and research, things to consider when designing dinnerware, the making process and surface decoration. There will be a live question and answer period at the end of the presentation. Currently, Julia’s pottery is inspired by the growing list of endangered species in the United States.

Native New Yorker Jacquelyn Ottman — a fifth generation member of one of New York City’s pioneering family of butchers, will unpack the rich history of Ottman & Company, one of New York City's premier meat purveyors to New York’s finest restaurants including Le Pavilion, 21, and the Four Seasons, and eventually the world.

In this richly illustrated, 90-minute webinar, she will cover:

Join us for a conversation on dinnerware design. Jean Richards—Eva Zeisel's daughter—and dinnerware collector Scott Vermillion will describe Eva's life and career, its highlights and low points (such as 16 months in a Stalinist prison), and what it was like growing up with this remarkable, adventurous woman, who believed that everyone can appreciate beauty, and aimed to give it to them. 

This event is in partnership with the International Museum of Dinnerware Design.