Posts Tagged ‘Denny Mecham’

Pottery Events Coming Up in Seagrove, NC, in June 2009

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

First off is the Cousins in Clay event on June 6 & 7, 2009, at Bulldog Pottery in Seagrove featuring works by Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke of Bulldog and invited guest and “clay cousin” Michael Kline from Bakersville, NC.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists and add to your pottery collection or begin one. The event begins Sat. June 6 at 9am and continues through 5pm. On Sun. June 7 you can come by at 10am and stay till 4pm, but if you do that – you should buy something. And, why wouldn’t you – all three potters make wonderful works of art – and functional too.

On June 20, 2009, from 10am – 4pm at the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove you can come shop at the Pots from the Attic Fundraiser, a once-in-a-lifetime sale of slightly worn pots. I wondered what that meant so I asked and was told, “this could be anything that is chipped, broken, repaired, or just heavily used with signs of wear. Most of the pots for this event will be from the Dr. Everette James Collection with some other pots from various donors. This will be an outright sale of pots, so folks can browse around and see the pieces and prices and take them home that day.” Sounds like a deal. The good Dr. is once again coming to the aid of the Pottery Center.

You might want to come early for the best selection, but you also might want to stick around until 2pm when a booksigning for The Living Tradition – North Carolina Potters Speak, will take place till 4pm. This book includes interviews by Michelle Francis and Charles “Terry” Zug III of 20 of North Carolina’s most distinguished potters with photographs by Rob Amberg, all edited by Denny Hubbard Mecham, the Pottery Center’s former director.

The potters included in the book are: Paulus Berensohn, Jennie Bireline, Cynthia Bringle, Charles Davis Brown, Kim Ellington, Mark Hewitt, MaryLou Higgins, Nick Joerling, Ben Owen III, Vernon Owens, Pam Owens, Jane Peiser, Hal Pugh, Eleanor Pugh, Will Ruggles, Douglas Rankin, Caroleen Sanders, Norman Schulman, Michael Sherrill, Tom Spleth, Hiroshi Sueyoshi, Tom Suomalainen, and Neolia Cole Womack.

The book was published for the North Carolina Pottery Center by Goosepen Press and is available at the NC Pottery Center for $29.95, (cloth, 192 pages) and on this day between 2 – 4pm you can get your copy or copies signed. They’ll let you buy as many copies as you need – Christmas is right around the corner.

The interviews intimately reveal the “aspirations and attitudes” of clay-working in a contemporary, diverse tradition. From the “fast nickel” or the “slow dime” and the practicalities of pricing and selling, to technical discussions of kiln building, clay processing, throwing, glazing, and firing, to the spirituality of the creative process and the medium of clay as a “reflection of life,” potters from across the state vivify the struggle and reward of their lives and work.

Luminous photographs by Rob Amberg complement the artists ’ own words – revelatory of character and ripe with anecdote – in this culmination of a documentary project by the North Carolina Pottery Center to promote and protect North Carolina’s unique pottery-making history.

The book’s description is not in my words – as if you couldn’t tell, but I believe them – the Pottery Center is a first-class operation.

Now, if you haven’t figured it out yet or you’re new to this blog – I’m a big fan of the North Carolina Pottery Center and the potters of Seagrove – all 100 + of them. I like other potters too, in other parts of the Carolinas, but as long as they need me – I’m trying to be their biggest fan and that’s going to take a lot if I’m even hoping to get close to how big a fan Dr. Everette James is, which might not be possible.

Well, if people from all over the Carolinas and beyond, if there is such a place, would start traveling to Seagrove and taking lots of pots home with them (after paying for them) and told people in Seagrove that I made it sound like they were really missing out on something – maybe then – some people might think I’m as good as the “good Dr.” But, that would take a lot of people. I’d settle for second-best fan.

So, what if you just can’t go to Seagrove? I’m thinking. The concept just doesn’t compute, but I guess if it’s not possible, the Pottery Center can take orders for the book if you call 336/873-8430 or e-mail to (ncpc@atomic.net).

All proceeds from The Living Tradition and the Pots from the Attic Fundraiser directly benefit the North Carolina Pottery Center – if you use this link you can even go download sample pages from the book.

If you don’t need a book or a pot – you can go to the website and make a donation to the Center.

As far as the Cousins in Clay event – I hear it’s even possible to go to the websites of potters (links above) and see works there and purchase them by credit card and have them shipped to your door. You all know how to use credit cards, don’t you? Well, I mean our American readers know what that’s all about.

I guess that would be OK, but I still have a hard time getting my head around why you can’t go to Seagrove. What else are you doing in June? Cutting grass? You know there’s no NFL Europe anymore.

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The Power of Potters – In Saving the NC Pottery Center

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

Don’t mess with a North Carolina potter! Or their Pottery Center. At least that’s the word I have for anyone doubting the importance of the NC Pottery Center located in the small community of Seagrove, NC. I have just received word that $100,000 + has been raised to save the NC Pottery Center.

It was just three months ago when I decided to stop by the Pottery Center to see an exhibition of pottery by Native American Indians in hopes of doing a review for my new blog on my way to Greensboro, NC. It was an excellent show and while I was there almost an hour -  no where did I see or hear any indication that the Center was in the middle of an area-wide controversy or financial trouble. It wasn’t until I arrived in Greensboro that a friend asked me about the troubles at the Pottery Center based on a newspaper article he read there in Greensboro.

I went online and found his concerns were true. There was big trouble in Seagrove. And, as I researched the issue I learned that all of the fuss was being caused by a few individuals who were more interested in a power grab than what was good for Seagrove, the Pottery Center and the potters in the area. Based on some of the outlandish claims being made by these individuals – which I knew to be untrue from my own experience in dealing with the Pottery Center I decided to stand on the side of local potters in Seagrove and the Pottery Center. It was just a ridiculous notion that we could loose this marvelous ten year old center because of the back-room dealings of a few.

And, I wasn’t the only person who couldn’t imagine losing this wonderful center of pottery history and resource center for contemporary pottery in not just Seagrove, but North Carolina, and the Carolinas. In three months, during what could be easily termed as the worst economic time in the US – hundreds, and perhaps even thousands of people put their money in the kitty to help save the NC Pottery Center.

Leading the charge was the Board of the NC Pottery Center and local potters networking with potters in North Carolina and eventually potters everywhere. And, the public responded by sending in checks, making electronic donations, purchasing pots that were donated to help benefit the Center, buying raffle tickets and making auction bids.

There is no doubt that a few individuals did more in this effort. Dr. Everette James and his wife Nancy Farmer donated part of their pottery collection to be auctioned off to benefit the Pottery Center. Leland Little Auction and Estate Sales, Ltd. in Hillsborough, NC, donated their services for that auction which raised $35,000. An anonymous NC couple offered a $10,000 challenge contribution to cap the Pottery Center’s fund drive once the Center raised $90,000 in honor of Drs. Everette James and Nancy Farmer. I’m sure there where others who deserve mention, but I just don’t have their names at this time. But everyone who made a contribution – no matter how small or even if it was in just spreading the word – they made a difference. They saved the NC Pottery Center – for now.

The ultimate goal is for the State of North Carolina to take over operation of the NC Pottery Center under the North Carolina Arts Council – a state arts agency. But, under the current economy – that might take some time yet, so the fight might not be over just yet. A fundraising goal has been met, but the long-term future is still unknown, but it does look brighter today.

Another contributing factor in the fundraising effort was blogging potters around the Carolinas. When the call when out for help – the word spread fast and far. I had a hard time keeping up with all the things that were going on and I eventually came to rely on Meredith Heywood of Whynot Pottery in Seagrove, who was blogging on her own blog (http://whynotpotteryblog.blogspot.com/) and eventually set up another blog – Potters for the NC Pottery Center  (http://pottersforncpc.blogspot.com/). She had lots of help from others who were feeding her info or helping with the blog. And, what’s really amazing is that during all this mess – she and her husband, also a potter, were dealing with rebuilding their studio which burned down in July.

Also let’s don’t forget that there were a few victims during this battle to save the Pottery Center. First and foremost was the loss of the Center’s director, Denny Mecham. The Center’s board in an effort cut expensive had to cut Mecham’s position to a part-time level and then all together. Mecham was unable to wait and see how the fundraising effort would go, and  took a position as the new executive director of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi. Talented people don’t have to wait too long for good job offers. The Potter Center’s exhibition schedule was also adjusted, putting major shows on the back burner. And, although some say all publicity is good – it’s not always good for everyone. The anxiety levels of area potters caught up in the controversy has taken its toll – causing some to take sides in a very small community.

What have I learned from all this? One – Potters have a strong network and sense of community. Two – If you work hard for something – a good cause – people will respond and help, even in tough times. Three – the power of the blog in spreading the word about issues. And, Four – just another reminder – the arts are important to people.

Although the $100,000 goal has been met – if you’re so inclined and have the funds – I would still advise anyone to make a contribution or participate in one of the still ongoing fundraisers. It won’t hurt and I’m sure it can be put to good use.

Now, go visit the Center you helped save. The doors are open.

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The Skinny on Saving the NC Pottery Center

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

I last posted info about the effort to save the NC Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, on Aug. 18, 2008. So it’s time to update you readers on what has happened since then.

The last time I gave an update on money raised it was on Aug. 11, 2008, and at that time $30,000 had been raised. As I post this the current amount raised is $41,983.89. That’s almost half way to their goal of raising $90,000. The remaining $10,000 will be donated by a NC couple to cap off the goal of raising $100,000. That’s a glass half-full view. See, I can be positive at times.

A whopping $2,325 of that money was raised by Mark Hewitt’s raffle for a 2-gallon jar, of his creation. 116 tickets were purchased for the raffle, (if you’re doing the math – one person paid $25 instead of $20 for their ticket) with all the proceeds to benefit the NC Pottery Center. The lucky winner was Greg Sims of Durham, NC. Sims now has helped save the Pottery Center and won a jar worth $350. If he only purchased one ticket for $20 – that’s a very nice investment – on both levels.

Another development is that Meredith Heywood of Whynot Pottery has started a new blog for information about the effort to save the NC Pottery Center – it can be found at (http://pottersforncpc.blogspot.com/). You’ll get the very latest info on this blog. You can learn about other raffles and opportunities to purchase pottery and help the NC Pottery Center keep it’s door open.

The BIG event taking place this month will be a benefit auction hosted by Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales (www.llauctions.com), on Sept. 28, 2008, in Hillsborough, NC. Dr. Everette James, an eminent NC pottery collector and Board member of the NC Pottery Center, has generously donated a substantial collection of NC pottery to be put up for bid. Other noted collectors from around the state have joined the effort, donating treasured antique NC pots for this auction. A second auction, held at the NC Pottery Center in Seagrove, will be held in the spring of 2009. It will feature contemporary North Carolina pottery.

On a good news/bad news event, Denny Mecham, who was the executive director of the NC Pottery Center has been hired as the new executive director of the future Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, MS. “This is a new Frank Gehry-designed museum”.

It didn’t take long for the search committee in Biloxi to select Mecham out of 40 applicants. Seagrove’s loss is Biloxi’s gain, but I’m sure the folks in Seagrove are happy Mecham was discovered to be the talented and experienced asset – they knew.

Let’s just hope that the powers that be in NC realize, before it’s too late, what could be lost if the NC Pottery Center is also allowed to slip away. Of course you people out there can have a lot to say about that possibility too. You can make a donation toward the $90,000 goal, you can become a member of the NC Pottery Center, you can participate in one of the benefit auctions, raffles, or by purchasing a piece of pottery where the proceeds will be donated. You can also help by spreading the word about the effort to save the NC Pottery Center – knowledge is power.

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NC Pottery Center Tightens Budget

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Not just waiting on the kindness of strangers and friends, the Board of the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, has cut the full-time position of its director, Denny Mecham, to a part-time position. Mecham has agreed to stay on until she finds another job.

Tim Blackburn, who is head of the Center’s board of directors said the position cut is not a reflection on Mecham’s performance as Director, but one of the only ways they can cut expenses.

Board members are trying to raise $100,000 in an effort to keep the Pottery Center open this year, hoping that the state of North Carolina will soon take over operation of the Center (Saving NC Pottery Center).

Since sending out a fundraising letter, several weeks ago, the Center has received almost $19,500 and another $12,000 has been pledged, but more is needed soon.

The reduction of the Director’s position from full-time to part-time is an example of the willingness of the Board to do whatever it takes to keep the Center’s doors open.

It’s a heck of a way to celebrate the Center’s ten year anniversary, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to stay alive.

Hopefully others who read about the Center’s problems will do what they can do to help them stay alive a little longer – at least until the cavalry arrives.

You could be part of the scouting party with early relief in the form of a donation (NC Pottery Center).

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