April 2014

In the Grove
by Rhonda McCanless

Thirty-seven Seagrove pottery shops will welcome visitors with open houses, kiln openings, demonstrations, studio tours, door prizes and more for the Celebration of Spring, Apr. 26 and 27, 2014. It’s the biggest open studio tour of the year. Each shop will celebrate in its own unique way. Participating shops will have special event signs to mark the way. Brochures and maps can be picked up at each of these shops. For more information, visit (www.CelebrationOfSeagrovePotters.com).

The North Carolina Pottery Center’s latest exhibition, Teachers of Tradition: NC’s Folk Heritage Award-Winning Potters is still on view until Apr. 26, 2014. This temporary exhibition highlights and honors the work of thirteen of the state’s outstanding traditional potters. The NCPC is located at 233 East Avenue in Seagrove. For more information, call 336/873-8430 or visit (www.NCPotteryCenter.org).

Bulldog Pottery will hold “Daffie Days” Apr. 4 and 5, 2014, from 10am to 5pm. The event welcomes the beginning of spring and celebrates the flowers that come with the season. Artists Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke invite visitors to join in lively conversation about their recent work and enjoy refreshments. A variety of elegant vases and an array of studio art pottery created by Gholson and Henneke will be featured. Bulldog Pottery is located five miles south of the Seagrove stoplight at 3306 US Highway 220 Alternate. For more information, call 336/302-3469 or visit

(www.BulldogPottery.blogspot.com).

Pottery Road Studio and Gallery will hold a “Birds and Blooms” event Apr. 5, 2014, from 10am to 5pm. The violas and muscari surrounding the shop will be in full bloom for the event. Artists Don and Susan Walton will have new work available, including birdhouses, vases, flower arranging pieces and other springtime pots. Pottery Road is located at 1387 NC Highway 705 South. For more information, call 336/707-9124 or visit (www.PotteryRoad.com).

Dover Pottery invites visitors ”Down the Rabbit Hole: a Collection of Whimsical Teaware and Other Delightfully Droll Creations” on Apr. 26, 2014, from 10am to 5pm. The event will feature whimsical tea sets designed and crafted by 3 Legged Cat, a new project by Fiva McCanless and Jared Zehmer at Dover Pottery. Light refreshments of tea and cookies will be available. Dover Pottery is located at 321 Dover Pottery Drive in Seagrove. For more information, call 910/464-3586.

Coming up in May is FireFest at STARworks, May 2-4, 2014. FireFest is a three-day celebration of the role of fire in the creation of art. Ceramic artist Cristina Córdova and glass artist Ché Rhodes have been invited to create art, hold slide shows and participate in finale events involving fire.

Daily admission is $5 and a weekend pass is $10. Admission includes lectures, slide shows, live music, finale events and more. Visitors will have the opportunity to try working with hot glass, metal or clay by participating in STARworks Open Studios for an additional $10. More in-depth workshops will be offered for those who are more serious about a particular medium.

Food and locally-brewed beer will be available on site.

STARworks is located seven miles south of Seagrove at 100 Russell Drive in Star, NC. For more information, call 910/428-9001 or visit (www.STARworksNC.org).

Rhonda McCanless is editor and publisher of In the Grove, a monthly newsletter about Seagrove, NC, that focuses on pottery news. Click the link to see the latest issue. Rhonda works full-time for Central Park NC in Star, NC, and can sometimes be found at her husband’s pottery shop, Eck McCanless Pottery, located at 6077 Old U.S. Highway 220 in Seagrove, NC. She can be reached by calling 336/879-6950 336/879-6950 or e-mail to (professional_page@rtmc.net).

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