As is usually the case – many planets have to come into alignment for Linda and I to be able to go somewhere together. I hate it when I have to go somewhere without her and she hates it even more than I do, but it just so happened that the Feb. 2012 issue of Carolina Arts was launched – e-mail notices were sent out and she was off from her other job on Saturday, Feb. 4. So we made plans to head to Seagrove, NC, to visit a few potters and then attend The Potter’s Palette, a unique fundraising art auction where potters from throughout NC were asked to make a painting to be auctioned off in support of the NC Pottery Center.

OK, two points have to be addressed before we can continue. One, I have grown to dislike art auctions, like many artists who are asked on a regular basis to contribute artworks to them. There are way too many of them and some are just a facade for some folks to throw a party for themselves and take home some cheap art. Also the “art auction” seems to be only a burden of the visual art community – what about the performing and literary arts? But, I do support art auctions that make sense for the artists to support. NC potters supporting the NC Pottery Center is a given.

Point two – what another fundraiser? Yes, fundraisers are the name of the game these days. Government funding of the arts is almost non-existent and has been shrinking over the last decade. Believe me, these folks would love not to do it, but it’s a fact of survival.

What I loved about The Potter’s Palette fundraiser was that it wasn’t potters giving more pots to be auctioned off – reducing the market value of their pots in the name of a good cause. This was asking them to work out of the box creating art that doesn’t compete with their pottery – appealing to pottery collectors – offering them a chance to bid on something rare and unusual – a real one-of-a-kind item. This concept is similar to the collaborative pots auctioned off during the Celebration of Seagrove Potter’s festival. How often can you bid on a pot made by two different potters – who are not married to each other?

The trip to Seagrove from Bonneau, SC, the headquarters of Carolina Arts is about a 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive – some on rural roads, but mostly on Interstate highways (I-95 and the future I-73 & I 74), with Florence, SC, acting as a rest stop. We left early to drop in on a few potteries that I have not been to since I stopped delivering the paper – over a year now. I was in Seagrove in November of 2011 for the Celebration of Seagrove Potters, but had no time to visit individual potteries. Besides, most were at pottery festivals that weekend.

We got to the rest area just outside of Seagrove about 12:30pm. We had lunch and headed to Bulldog Pottery to pay a visit to Samantha Henneke and Bruce Gholson, as well as Max the wonder bulldog and Ed and Gloria Henneke. But we had to settle for two out of five. Max was walled off from us. The excuse was that Max had pottery studio dust feet, which Max being Max would end up all over us (a big bummer) and they claimed Ed and Gloria were down in Florida, but I think Ed was still mad at me over the fact that Michigan had beaten Virginia Tech in a bowl game. Some people take a football loss like that hard. Just kidding Ed – it’s a good thing Michigan had paid off the refs ahead of time – right.

We got a tour of their new studio space. Well it was not so new to them, but new to us. Again, I’m amazed at all the stuff and equipment that goes into making pottery. If the public only knew what I have seen – behind the scenes of making art – they wouldn’t complain about the price of art much. At least you would think that. Most think it just involves a potter’s wheel and some clay.

We also got to talk some more about social media. Which is when my head started hurting and I noticed that there were two pots still spinning on wheels and the light bulb when off – they’re in the middle of working.

We next headed to Whynot Pottery to visit with Meredith and Mark Heywood to see what they were up to since we last saw them. Yes, I follow the blog and Facebook entries of these folks, but you can’t get the whole picture from those postings. Besides I still like the old school social media where you talk with people – face to face.

My mistake at Whynot Pottery was when we went inside their home, I sat or melted into their couch. If we didn’t have the event at the Pottery Center to go to and Linda wasn’t on call Sunday for her 911 job – I might have ended up watching the Super Bowl from that couch. Talk about visitors who never leave – it could have been me.

You ever notice that when couples get together that eventually the guys will be talking on one subject and the gals on another and sometimes the two paths of conversation will cross – and make sense? We had a few of those, but mostly we talked about a project they are working on with a designer from Charlotte, NC, who is working with a bigger designer in California.

At this point no one knows where this project will lead, but it really sounds interesting in that these designers are going to be pitching American Made up against Made in China and hopefully American consumers are ready to buy into the concept of the value of American craft over China’s price. We hope to have more about this project later.

Once I looked at the time, I think it took me about 20 minutes to transition slowly to a point where I could move off of that couch. My body didn’t want to go.

We got to the NC Pottery Center in downtown Seagrove just a little after the event started and the parking lot was packed. And, so was the Center. Very soon we were standing in a line which eventually led to the food, which was being provided by Jennie Lorette Keatts, of JLK Jewelry at Jugtown, who we later learned was a caterer in a previous life. And what a spread it was – steamed shrimp, smoked salmon pate, tuna pate, sundried tomato tapenade, Rosemary white bean spread, Asian marinated meatballs, miniature quiches, stuffed baby red potatoes, cheeses, fruit, veggies, desserts, and more. You won’t see any photos of the food, as there was never a time that there wasn’t a crowd of people around those tables, except during the live auction, and I found it impossible to fill my plate and take pictures. But I know my priorities.

Michael Mahan (r) and Phil Winn (l)

Wonderful Irish music was being provided by Michael Mahan, of From the Ground Up Pottery, and Phil Winn from Greensboro, NC. It doesn’t seem fair that these artists have so many talents. They should have left some for the rest of us.

NC Potter Center Board Member Michael Kline serving up drinks

A last minute inspection of works to be auctioned

More inspections

Potter Fred Johnston of Johnston and Gentithes Art Pottery giving folks a closer look at a work

Soon the live auction was starting, but it took the crowd a little time to settle down. There was a lot of excitement in the air and so many people to talk to. Bidding started a little slowly, but before you knew it – it was moving along fast and the bidding was getting heated on some of the items. One painting by Vernon Owens of Jugtown Pottery went for $1700. The high bidder was somewhere on the other end of a cell phone manned by Travis Owens. The crowd erupted when the auctioneer called out – “Sold for $1700!” I later learned that Alex Matisse’s painting came in second and brought a final bid of $1650.

Travis Owens making a bid for the mystery person on the phone

Mark Hewitt describing a painting

One of the highlights of the auction was the commentary by Mark Hewitt of Pittsboro, NC, potter and board member of the NC Pottery Center, about each of the paintings being offered. His comments got interesting, especially when it came to a work by himself or of a good friend. At times it sounded as if he was auditioning for a job at Sotheby’s or to be an Art History professor.

There wasn’t any painting that didn’t attract a bid – thank you bidding audience, and at least 50 percent of the paintings went for over $100 and some climbed to $400, $500, $600, and higher as several bidders fought to become the owner. A few bargains were had for what I would call a steal, but the bidding was well spread throughout the crowd. Some of the potters who had contributed a painting were also bidding on other potter’s paintings. The spirit of a true fundraiser was in this crowd.

People checking their bid sheets to see which painting is up next

Before the evening was over, what I would call halfway over by looking at the bid list, Linda and I had to head back to Bonneau. Linda was on call on Sunday, and although she didn’t get called in and was able to participate in the first ever Carolina Arts All Day Super Bowl Celebration, we didn’t want to take the chance of getting home around 1 or 2am and she getting that dreaded call to come in to work at 7am.

The Pottery Center has not issued a final total raised during the event, but it might come in over $15,000. An official press release will come later, but I’d say it was a very successful venture, one that I’m sure we’ll see again and will no doubt be better than this first one. That’s the way they roll in Seagrove.

You can see other photos from the event (better than mine) at the Pottery Center’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Carolina-Pottery-Center-Seagrove-NC/102520396006). While you’re there you might want to “Like” it to keep up with future events. Their annual potter auction will be coming up soon.

You can read more details about this event at an earlier post I made on Jan. 31, 2012, at this link (http://carolinaarts.com/wordpress/2012/01/31/north-carolina-pottery-center-in-seagrove-nc-offers-the-potters-palette-something-different-feb-4-2012/).

To learn more about the NC Pottery Center, check our their website at (www.NCPotteryCenter.org).

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Here’s an opportunity to purchase something unique and help the NC Pottery Center at the same time. Imagine owning a painting – yes, I said painting by Mark Hewitt, Cynthia Bringle, or Vernon Owens – great potters, but not known as painters – other than painting glazes on their pots. Now that would be a conversation piece for any pottery collector at any level. If you’re the highest bidder – you might be able to brag of such a possession.

But don’t get me wrong in thinking that owning one of these paintings will just be a novelty – some of these people are very talented with a brush and canvas. As you may know – artists are talented people – many are multi-talented as you’ll see when you check out the 80 canvases being offered on the Pottery Center’s website.

Work by Mark Hewitt

Can’t be there on Feb. 4th – no worries. You can make your absentee bid online at the Pottery Center’s website, but it won’t be the same as being there during the event in the heat of the action. There’s nothing worse than learning that your silent bid was topped out by $2 – especially when you would have paid much more. So, if you can’t make it and will be making an absentee bid online – remember to bid as high as you would go to have one of these special works and that the money is going to help the NC Pottery Center keep its doors open. That’s what art auctions are all about – helping out and getting something in return – not just getting a bargain.

And if you bid against me – remember that I’m the publisher of a newspaper – like Rupert Murdoch – once I make a bid – others might as well stand down or dig very, very, deep into their pockets. We’re used to getting what we want. All I have to do is make sure I don’t come with a pair of my pants that has holes in the pockets. I wonder if Rupert has that problem?

Here’s the press release:

The North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, the center of pottery in North Carolina, invited NC clay artists to work outside their regular palette by creating a 12″ x 12” canvas, using any medium they desired. The response has been a wide array of creativity, which is only to be expected by the talented potters of NC. On Feb. 4, 2012, the public will have the opportunity to bid on these outstanding palettes and the opportunity to own a canvas. Truly a one-of-a-kind piece to complement any pottery collection! Many of the artists will be featured guests, and there will be several clay creations to complement the canvases available to purchase as well, making it really a one of a kind purchase. The canvases are posted on the NC Pottery Center’s website at (http://ncpotterycenter.org/canvases.html) with absentee bidding offered until Feb. 1, 2012, at 4pm.

The fun and festive event begins at 4pm on Feb. 4, 2012, with Irish tunes played by Michael Mahan, Seagrove potter, painter and musician and Phil Winn of Greensboro, NC, and includes a scrumptious buffet featuring an array of delicious hors d’oeuvres from gourmet bites to seafood and cheeses to desserts and festive beverages. An event not to be missed!

Work by Bruce Gholson

Response from the potters and the public has been hugely enthusiastic. Potters from all areas of NC have painted and the canvases are all are currently on display at the North Carolina Pottery Center. Certain themes have spontaneously emerged including birds, especially roosters, fish, cows, houses, pottery imagery as well as some abstracts and mixed media with some surprises and real gems and many have associated stories, some of which are outlined below.

Tickets are $15 per person, or $25 for a pair, and are available through the website or by calling 336/873-8430 and also a limited quantity at the door. We encourage purchase in advance.

Work by Levi Mahan

Piedmont Area Potter Painters include: Tom Suomalaine, Crystal King, Donna Craven & Susan Greene, Janice & Bruce Latham, Paula Smith, Eck & Fiva & Milly McCanless, Joseph Sand, Hal & Eleanor Pugh, Michael & Levi Mahan, Mary Holmes, Susan McGehee, Ben & LoriAnn Owen, Samantha Henneke, Bruce Gholson, Beth Gore, Chad Brown, Daniel Johnston, Kate Waltman, John Viegland, Stephanie Martin, Charlotte Wooten, Abe Fenberg, Jeff Brown, Michele Hastings, Fred Johnston, Carol Gentithes, Vernon Owens, Pam Owens, Jennie Lorette Keatts, Phillip Pollet, Alexa Modderno, Bonnie Burns, Bobbie Thomas, Scott Thomas, Tom Gray, Mary Farrell, Meredith Heywood, Ann Raven Jorgensen, Vicki Gill, and Jared Zehmer.

Charlotte Area Potter Painters Include: Andrew Linton, Caroleen Sanders, and Roy & Barbara Strassberg.

Works by Dina Wilde-Ramsing

Costal Area Potter Painters Include: Helene Icard, Dina Wilde-Ramsing, Keith Lambert, Tonda Jeffcoat, and Seo Eo.

Mountains Area Potter Painters Include: Kim Ellington, Tammy Leigh Brooks, Michelle Flowers, John Britt, Michael Kline, Terry Gess, Matt Jones, Doc Welty, Alex Matisse, Becca Floyd, Cynthia Bringle, Karen Mickler, and Kyle Carpenter.

Triangle Area Potter Painters Include: Lynn Morrow, Mark Hewitt, Daphne Cruze-Zug, Ronan Peterson, Mary Paul & John Garland, and Nancy & Dan Lovejoy.

The North Carolina Pottery Center offers educational opportunities to statewide schools and individuals, changing historical and contemporary exhibitions, demonstrations, and information about statewide potters. The NCPC is a private nonprofit entity, funded primarily through memberships, grants, admissions, and appropriations.

Work by Meredith Heywood

The Center is open, Tuesdays – Saturdays, 10am to 4pm. Admission (excluding free special events): $2 – adults, $1 – students 9th through 12th grades, Free – children through 8th grade, free – NCPC members.  Handicap accessible. Groups and tours welcomed.

For further information and details call 336/873-8430, e-mail at (info@ncpotterycenter.org) or visit (www.NCPotteryCenter.org).

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Seagrove, NC……And someone said that making a tile is as close to a painting as a potter can get – how wrong they were!  The NC Pottery Center presents “The Potter’s Palette”, featuring over 80 12” x 12” canvases done by prominent NC clay artists. Clay artists from around the state were invited to produce a canvas using any medium they desired to present a different expression of themselves and their talent, to be sold in a fundraiser to benefit the North Carolina Pottery Center. The results are impressive and are currently on display at the Center in Seagrove.

Painting by Daphnie Cruz Zug

This rare and unique fundraiser is the first of its kind at the NC Pottery Center. On Feb. 4, 2012, the public will have the opportunity to bid on these palettes and the opportunity to own a canvas created in a medium not used everyday by these outstanding artists. Truly a one-of-a-kind piece to complement any pottery collection! Many of the artists will be featured guests, and there will be several clay creations to complement the canvases available to purchase as well, making it really a one of a kind purchase.

Painting by Levi Mahan

The canvases are posted on the NC Pottery Center’s website (www.ncpotterycenter.org) and absentee bidding will soon be offered until Feb. 1, 2012, at 4pm, for those who can not attend this special event. The fun and festive event begins at 4pm on Feb. 4, 2012, with live musical entertainment and a delectable buffet featuring an array of delicious hors d’oeuvres from gourmet bites to seafood and cheeses to desserts and much more. Join us for this wonderful spread and a selection of beverages while you preview the collection and register to bid. The exciting auction starts at 5pm.

Participating clay artists include: Rita Abee, Colleen Black Semelka, John Britt, Tammy Leigh Brooks, Jeff Brown, Michele Hastings, Bonnie Burns, Kim Ellington, Mary Farrell, Alexa Modderno, Michelle Flowers, Becca Floyd, Mary Paul and John Garland, Terry Gess, Vicki Gill, Tom Gray, Mark Hewitt, Meredith Heywood, Helene Icard, Tonda Jeffcoat, Fred Johnston, Carol  Genthithes, Matt Jones, Jennie Lorette Keatts, Crystal King, Bruce and Janice Latham, Andrew Linton, Nancy Lovejoy, Dan Lovejoy, Mary Holmes, Michael Mahan, Eck McCanless, Milly McCanless, Fiva McCanless, Beth Gore, Karen Mickler, Lyn Morrow, Vernon Owens, Pam Owens, Ronan Kyle Peterson, Phillip Pollet, Hal and Eleanor Pugh, Joseph Sand, Caroleen Sanders, Barbara Strassberg, Tom Suomalainen, Bobbie Thomas, Doc Welty, Charlotte Wooten, Daphne Cruz Zug, Kyle Carpenter, Seo Eo, Roy Strassberg, Abe Fenberg, Susan McGehee, Levi Mahan, Ben Owen III, LoriAnn Owen, Samantha Henneke, Bruce Gholson, Daniel  Johnston, Kate Waltman, John Viegland, Alex Matisse, Donna Craven, Susan Greene, Anne Raven Jorgensen, Stephanie Martin, Michael Kline, Cynthia Bringle, and Keith Lambert.

Painting by Alexa Modderno

Painting by Pam Owens

Tickets are $15 per person, or $25 for a pair, and must be purchased in advance.

The North Carolina Pottery Center offers educational opportunities to statewide schools and individuals, changing historical and contemporary exhibitions, demonstrations, and information about statewide potters. The NCPC is a private nonprofit entity, funded primarily through memberships, grants, admissions, and appropriations. The Center is open Tuesdays – Saturdays 10am to 4pm, admission (excluding free special events): $2 – adults, $1 – students 9th through 12th grades, Free – children through 8th grade, free – NCPC members.  Handicap accessible. Groups and tours welcomed.

Painting by Dan Lovejoy

Painting by Fiva McCanless

For further information and details call 336/873-8430, e-mail to (info@ncpotterycenter.org) or visit (www.NCPotteryCenter.org).

Editor’s Note: The NC Potter Center is a great place to visit if only to learn about pottery, the history of pottery in North Carolina, what kind of pottery is being made in North Carolina today as well as the Seagrove area, but beyond that, it presents important and education exhibitions of pottery – historical and contemporary. It is also a great educational facility for the region’s school students. And because offering all that takes money – lots of money – they need the public’s help to supplement the funding they receive from local, regional, state and national sources. Whether you take part in one of the fundraisers offered, you can always make a donation – on a visit, by mail or on their website. Anything you can do will make a difference.

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We’ll provide all the street addresses involved so you can let Google pull up a map you can print out or stop at the NC Pottery Center and pick up one of the handy maps of the Seagroce area potteries. And, just to be polite, check out the exhibits on view at the Pottery Center.

We’ll start on the fringe with Donna Craven Pottery which will be hosting a Holiday Open House from 8:30am-5pm. The pottery is located at 2616 Old Cox Road in Asheboro, NC – more like between Asheboro and Seagrove.

Join them as they celebrate the holiday season with new pots from the upcoming firing, refreshments and more!

For further details call 336/629-8173 or e-mail to (donnacraven@embarqmail.com).

Bulldog Pottery will be hosting their Holiday Kiln Opening from 9am-5pm. The pottery is located at 3306 Alt. 220, going south from Seagrove. Look for the big blue water tower.

Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke will have new moka glaze pottery ready. Come see the latest and hottest Bulldog pots of 2011, fresh from the kiln.

Ask them why they are not named – Max the Wonder Bulldog Pottery.

For further details call 336/302-3469, e-mail to (bulldog@bulldogpottery.com) or visit (www.bulldogpottery.com).

Chris Luther Pottery will be having a Kiln Opening from 10am-5pm. The pottery is located at 4823 Busbee Road, just outside of Seagrove.

The pottery will introduce new glazes and shapes for 2012.

For further details call 336/301-3254, e-mail to (info@chrislutherpottery.com) or visit (www.chrislutherpottery.com).

Ben Owen Pottery will be presenting its Holiday Chinese Red Kiln Opening with a preview and refreshments from 9-9:50am and the opening from 10am-5pm. The pottery is located at 2199 S. Hwy. 705, (the Pottery Highway) South of Seagrove.

There will be an abundance of Chinese Red and other glazes will be available as well. They hope to see you there!

For further details call 336/879-2262, e-mail to (info@benowenpottery.com) or visit (www.benowenpottery.com).

Seagrove Stoneware Inn & Pottery will be hosting its Annual Kiln Opening & Gallery Sale (no hours were given, but lets say 10am-5pm). The pottery is located at 136 West Main Street in “downtown” Seagrove.

Join them for their annual kiln opening and gallery sale featuring new work, one of a kind pieces, and special discounts in the gallery. The sale is both Saturday and Sunday.

For further details call 336/873-8283, e-mail to (artists@seagrovestoneware.com) or visit (seagrovestoneware.com).

Dean and Martin Pottery will be having its Holiday Kiln Opening from 9am to 5pm. The pottery is located at 7739 Nathan Lane, outside of Seagrove.

Come out to their shop for a visit and see their new work.

For further details call 336-879-0683, e-mail to (jeff@deanandmartinpottery.com) or visit (www.deanandmartinpottery.com).

We’ve also heard that Johnston & Gentithes Art Pottery will also be having a holiday event on Dec. 17th, but we have no details. They are located at 249 East Main Street in “downtown” Seagrove. Let’s say it would be safe to give them hours of 10am-5pm.

For details call 336/873-9176 or visit (www.johnstonandgentithes.com).

Work from JLK Jewelry

Of course while you’re in the Seagrove area you could also check out other potteries who happen to be supporters of Carolina Arts including: Eck McCanless Pottery, at 6077 Old US Hwy. 220, Seagrove; From The Ground Up Pottery, at 172 Crestwood Road, Robbins; JLK Jewelry at Jugtown, at 330 Jugtown Road, Seagrove; Whynot Pottery, at 1013 Fork Creek Mill Road, Seagrove; and Wyndham & Brooke Haven Pottery Gallery, at 209 East Main Street in “downtown” Seagrove.

Hey, you could even stop by Phil Morgan Pottery, at 966 Hwy. 705, (the Pottery Highway) just outside of “downtown” Seagrove. Ask him if he’s ready to give Christmas back? Just joking – I hear he’s a pretty good potter.

To find out information about other potteries in the Seagrove area, visit (www.DiscoverSeagrove.com) or (www.SeagrovePotteryMuseum.org). And, once you get your hands on a map, you’ll see you can map out a more convenient route from pottery to pottery than the order mentioned here.

Good shopping!

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Well, after a trip to Vista Lights in Columbia, SC, I was lucky to get a day in-between before I hit the road again on my way to Seagrove, NC, a 3 1/2 hour trip North of the Carolina Arts headquarters in Bonneau, SC. When I left home it was 37 degrees and as I headed North is got a little cooler for the first hour, then it eventually started to warm up as the sun began to do its magic. I got to Seagrove just after 10am and the parking lots were pretty jammed at Luck’s Cannery, but people were leaving carrying bags full of pottery. Within a few minutes a space opened up.

Once inside the historic Luck’s Cannery I paid my $5 admission, filled out my raffle card, and got myself ready to jump into the salmon stream. My plan was to make one full run to see all the booths before I’d stop and talk with anyone. You know once I start talking everything else falls to the wayside. As most best laid plans go, I found it hard to do this in one steady stream. So, like most salmon I took some tracks ahead, some backwards, some around a corner or two to tried another route. I think three quarters of the way around I gave up and grabbed the first potter I knew – also trying to swim upstream and pulled him to the side. This was Bruce Gholson of Bulldog Pottery.

I started the conversation with a little inside joke asking him where Phil Morgan’s booth was. That question dates back to the pottery festival wars that took place a few years ago. I think all potters in Seagrove would agree that Seagrove is BIG enough for two pottery festivals to exist – another joke as Seagrove is a very small town. Gholson gave me a look that said – you media folks really like to stir things up. It’s all water and salmon over the falls now. After a little catching up with Gholson I started my run again.

This is a shot of the side of Ray Pottery’s booth

Fred Johnston in the Johnston & Gentithes Art Pottery Booth

Ben Owen III in his booth

A work at Fat Beagle Pottery booth

Once I thought I had seen everything once, the first booth I stopped into was Whynot Pottery where Meredith Heywood was fighting her own battle taking people’s money and wrapping up their purchases. This would be the theme of the day. I soon realized that this was not going to be a day of catching up with folks from Seagrove except for a few lines here and there. Even standing in a booth for a few seconds got you some looks that said – either you buy something or get out of my way, mister – a message I take in stride as my rule is the customer always comes first – conversation last.

A shot inside Seagrove Stoneware’s booth

A shot inside Bulldog Pottery’s booth

Jennie Lorette Keatts behind the JLK Jewelry at Jugtown’s booth

Taking photos with my camera was a bit of a problem. Using flash to get decent images of shiny pottery is difficult without a better camera and flash unit. The lighting inside the building was way up and booths were full of extra lights that created problems for light meters in cameras, and then there was the constant flow of people. Although I will say that many times when I raised my camera to my eye – people held up to let me take a shot. At least those who saw what I was doing did. Most had that glazed look you see on people’s faces during Black Fridays. They only see what they want – they don’t see anything in between their goal of getting it.

So I spent a lot of my time looking around, gathering materials placed on tables, reading those materials and occasionally getting a word in when I could. And, there was so much to look at – works by over 60 potteries by over 100 potters. Having this opportunity for just $5 is a gas saving bargain. There is no way you could travel to all these potteries without burning up much more in gas, not to mention how many times you might get lost. But, in the Seagrove area that can be part of the journey – the countryside is beautiful.

NC Pottery Booth

A display of some of the paintings by potters for an upcoming fundraiser
at the NC Pottery Center. Potters can paint too – imagine that.

At one point I retreated to the first room where you enter the building which contained tables set up by related organizations like the NC Pottery Center and festival sponsors like Our State magazine. That’s also where the silent auction was taking place of donated works of pottery and then there was also the goodies table – where they had all these yummy looking treats. Pottery demos were going on and there was a special section for children’s activities and even a special area where only children could buy items at special prices. This room was less competitive.

Here’s some big pots by Donna Craven

Do you think this person likes Ben Owen III’s Chinese Red Pots?

Some more big pots by Daniel Johnston

By the time I went outside for lunch the weather was in the 50′s and very nice. The Celebration had provided a full range of food vendors on site, but like most of the time when I travel I carry my food with me. I learned from my many years of delivering papers to control what goes in my body and I only eat foods that offer no surprises on the road. TMI – I know.

By lunch time the crowd began to thin a little, so I headed back in for round two where I got a few more pictures and had a few more conversations. I think it was on this run that the hunter became the hunted. At Bulldog Pottery’s booth I was “tagged” as they say on Facebook by Samantha Henneke. By the time I got home later that day there was a photo of me at the Celebration up on Facebook. She had the home-field advantage on me.

Ed Henneke, Bruce Gholson, and Samantha Henneke at Bulldog Pottery’s
booth. I like this photo for the lady thinking how many gifts she could get in
this one booth.

Meredith Heywood drowning in sales at the Whynot Pottery booth before her
sister came to the rescue.

A very busy Michael Mahan at the From the Ground Up Booth

During this second run I finally got to talk with Rhonda McCanless, publisher of In the Grove, a publication about the Seagrove area. She and her husband Eck McCanless have opened their own pottery, Eck McCanless Pottery, since I was last in Seagrove and on this day she was a retailer not a publisher, although copies of In the Grove were going like hotcakes at the admission desks.

I also got a few words in with Jennie Lorette Keatts of JLK Jewelry at Jugtown. But there were some folks I was hoping to talk with but never caught them when they were not in the middle of a sale or deep in discussion with someone who sounded like they were talking about something more important than what I had to say – which was a good thing, I think. This was an important weekend for these potters as visits to Seagrove will fall off during the upcoming Winter. So, I hope they forgive me for not speaking with them – I wanted to and tried, but never got the opportunity.

After I felt I had accomplished all I could, with the limited time I had, I headed over to the NC Pottery Center to see the exhibit, Collecting North Carolina Pottery for 75 Years, on view through Jan. 28, 2012. The North Carolina Pottery Center and The Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, have partnered to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Mint Museum as an art institution with this special exhibition. In this exhibition, the Mint acknowledges the vital role of collectors, past and present, in making its North Carolina pottery collection one of the largest and most important in the country. The Mint Museum Randolph in Charlotte, NC, is also presenting a companion exhibit, A Thriving Tradition: 75 Years of Collecting North Carolina Pottery, featuring more than 100 examples of the Mint’s pottery collection, which has now grown to more than 2,100 examples that includes objects that range from the last quarter of the eighteenth century to the first decades of the twenty-first. This exhibit will be on view through Jan. 5, 2013.

All the works at the NC Pottery Center were under plastic cases, so I took no photos of any of those works. But if you’re into pottery, this is a good show to see a little of the history of NC pottery by examples – great examples.

A pretty neat thing on view at the Pottery Center was a Transparent Kiln put together by a group of Estonian ceramic instructors and students, as well as clay students from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. It shows you how a kiln would be packed as it is fired. A sight that usually only the potter sees.

It’s a good thing that the Mint Museum and the NC Pottery Center have these collections, as many of us may never get the chance to see some examples of these historical works since they all might be held in private collections – behind closed doors. And, it’s also a good thing that some of these collectors have donated their collections or parts of their collections to these institutions.

If you missed the 4th Celebration of Seagrove Potters – shame on you, but you’re in luck. You see, Seagrove is a very active pottery community – something is going on all the time. Here’s a list of some of the events going on in December.

Dec. 3, 2011, 10am-5pm – Chris Luther Pottery Kiln Opening

Dec. 3, 2011, 9am-5pm – Blaine M. Avery- Avery Pottery and Tileworks – Holiday Kiln opening

Dec. 3, 2011, 8:30am-5pm – Jugtown Pottery & JLK Jewelry at the Jugtown Holiday Kiln Opening

Dec. 3, 2011, 9am-5pm – Holiday Open House at Westmoore Pottery

Dec. 3, 2011, 10am-5pm – Thomas Pottery – 2011 Holiday Kiln Opening

Dec. 3, 2011, 10am-5pm & Dec. 4, 2011, noon-4pm – Eck McCanless Pottery Holiday Weekend

Dec. 10 & 11, 2011 – Seagrove Stoneware – Annual Kiln Opening & Gallery Sale

Dec. 17, 2011, 9am-5pm – Bulldog Pottery Holiday Kiln Opening

Dec. 17, 2011, 10am-5pm – Ben Owen Pottery – Holiday Chinese Red Kiln Opening – 2011

Dec. 17, 2011, 10am-5pm – Chris Luther Pottery Kiln Opening

For other info about what’s going on with the potters in Seagrove visit (http://www.discoverseagrove.com).

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The North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, in partnership with Leland Little Auction and Estate Sales, Ltd. is pleased to announce that the12th Annual Benefit Auction cleared just over $28,000. The auction, held Aug. 11, 2011, at Leland Little Auction and Estate Sales, Ltd. in Hillsborough, NC, featured over one hundred and ten pieces of fine contemporary and historical North Carolina pottery and several generous raffle prizes and door prizes. Bidding was brisk and the action was lively after the wine & cheese reception with prominent NC potters.

The evening was made possible through the generosity of North Carolina potters and collectors, our partner, Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, and the support of the following sponsors: First Bank of Troy, Brad Crone, Progress Energy, American Ceramics Society, Aftifex, Jugtown Pottery, Caroleen Sanders, Linda Carnes-McNaughton, Pat Palmer & D. A. Livingston, Randolph Telephone Membership Corporation, Community One Bank, The Cranford Agency, Bruce Daws, Carmen Guy, Patricia Hart, Klaussner, Benjamin McDowell, Marilyn Palsha, Pugh Funeral Home, Westmoore Family Restaurant, Gardner Heating & Air, Randolph Electric Membership Corporation, Randolph Printing, The Grove Park Inn, Courtyard by Marriott Chapel Hill, The Umstead Hotel, Ducksmith House B&B, Seagrove Stoneware Inn, NC Zoological Society, and Chili’s.

Our volunteers were many and they made this a wonderful event. The Auction Committee comprised of the NCPC Board members, the NCPC staff and Bonnie Burns put in many hours planning and fund raising.

Board members and staff are staying busy with on-going fundraising efforts, presently planning an exciting event titled “The Potter’s Palette” to be held at the Umstead Hotel on Oct. 28, 2011.

Exhibitions are made possible through the generosity of our membership, the Mary and Elliott Wood Foundation, The John Wesley and Anna Hodgin Hanes Foundation, and the Goodnight Educational Foundation. This project was supported by the NC Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Thank you!

The mission of the North Carolina Pottery Center is to promote public awareness of and appreciation for the history, heritage, and ongoing tradition of pottery making in North Carolina. The Center is located at 233 East Avenue in Seagrove, NC. Hours of operation are Tue – Sat 10 am – 4 pm.

For more information, please call 336/873-8430 or visit (www.ncpotterycenter.org).

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For three days in late June, 2011, a group of 25 local teachers took a break from their summer vacation to participate in a special workshop hosted by the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, North Carolina, and funded by an educational grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Goodnight Educational Fund. The purpose of this special workshop was to introduce these teachers to the history of pottery making in North Carolina, from the earliest American Indian potters to contemporary potters of today, highlighting old traditions and new traditions. The teachers were selected by random, five from each of the surrounding counties of Chatham, Lee, Moore, Montgomery and Randolph. Each teacher received a packet of publications, posters, and educational materials to share with their students next fall.

Teachers get an orientation at the NCPC on the first day of the workshop from Dr. Linda Carnes-McNaughton

Day one of the workshop featured guest lectures by Dr. Charles Zug, noted folklorist and North Carolina pottery expert who provided a history of pottery making overview, Dr. Linda Carnes-McNaughton, archaeologist and ceramic scholar who taught them how to identify different ceramics and glazes, plus demonstrations by Caroleen Sanders, Catawba Indian potter who spoke about her heritage and training, and finally Chris Espenshade, an archaeologist who demonstrated hand-building techniques for the teacher’s hands-on experience.

Catawba potter, Caroleen Sanders gives teachers an overview of  her pottery tradition.

Teachers in the NCPC Education Building learning how to make coiled pottery from Chris Espenshade.

The second and third days involved field trips to various regional pottery shops to showcase different pottery styles, kilns, glazes, and vessels. The group visited Westmoore Pottery (Mary Farrell) to learn about North Carolina’s early redware industry and use of a chamber kiln. They then moved on to Jugtown Pottery to learn about groundhog kilns, salt-glazed stonewares and the “revitalization” of the craft which took place in the 1920s from generational potters, Vernon and Pam Owens. The afternoon was filled with a visit to Ben Owen Pottery to see new art forms and changes in this family’s wares over the past three generations, plus two functioning groundhog kilns. Last on the second day was a trip to the King’s Pottery to meet Terry, Anna and Crystal King, a family of local potters known for their whimsical face jugs and sculptural figurines of animals.

Mary Farrrell of Westmoore Pottery greets the teachers in front of her shop before showing them her decorative techniques.

The third day the teachers’ group traveled to Pittsboro, NC, to meet potter Mark Hewitt and learn more about the apprenticeship system of craft-transfer, along with his own version of traditional pottery, use of a catenary arch kiln and other decorative elements revised from North Carolina’s 19th century traditions. The group concluded the field trip day with a visit to Seagrove pottery family, the McCanlesses, where Millie (Dover Pottery), Eck (Eck McCanless Pottery) and Zeke demonstrated elaborate decorative techniques on porcelain-type ceramics.

Pittsboro, NC, potter, Mark Hewitt talks about his craft and appreciation of North Carolina pottery.

At the end of the workshop, the teachers received their diplomas and stood patiently for a final group photograph.  Overall comments from teachers were very rewarding and positive, “this is the best workshop I’ve attended in my 17 years of teaching”, “loved the literature and the presentations”, “learning firsthand history from NC potters”, “now I have more knowledge to spread with kids and families in the area”,  and “NCPC + Hospitality = Wonderful!”

Group of 25 Teachers from Chatham, Lee, Moore, Montgomery, and Randolph Counties who participated in the NCPC’s 3-day Teachers Workshop on Pottery making in North Carolina.

The workshop organizers, Dr. Linda Carnes-McNaughton, Mrs. Cindy Edwards, and Mrs. Ann Busick, along with the NCPC staff, hope to do another teachers workshop in the future, offering access to potters, history overview and hands-on demonstrations to teachers from throughout the state an opportunity to transmit this learning to their students….helping to preserve and promote the significance of pottery in North Carolina’s heritage.

Upcoming Fundraiser for the NC Pottery Center

The North Carolina Pottery Center, in Seagrove, partnering with Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd (LLAES), is pleased to announce, the 12th annual Going, Going, Gone to Pots fundraising auction on Aug. 11, 2011. This auction, the Center’s main fund raising event of the year, will feature an outstanding selection of contemporary and vintage North Carolina pottery donated by top NC potters and collectors, as well as other exciting participatory and pottery related items. The lots are available for viewing now at (www.ncpotterycenter.com) and (www.llauctions.com).

NC Pottery Center’s Upcoming Exhibitions

The North Carolina Pottery Center will present two new exhibits including: Wild Fire: Alamance County Stoneware – Past and Present and Remember Me as You Pass By… North Carolina Ceramic Grave Markers, both on view from Aug. 19 through Oct. 29, 2011. A reception will be held on Aug. 19, from 5:30-7:30pm.

Exhibitions are made possible through the generosity of our membership, the Mary and Elliott Wood Foundation and the Goodnight Educational Foundation. This project was supported by the NC Arts Council, a division of the NC Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The mission of the North Carolina Pottery Center is to promote public awareness of and appreciation for the history, heritage, and ongoing tradition of pottery making in North Carolina. The Center is located at 233 East Avenue in Seagrove. Hours of operation are Tue. – Sat., 10am – 4pm.

For more information, please call 336/873-8430 or visit (www.ncpotterycenter.org)

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Being close only counts in a game of horseshoes. I was in Seagrove, NC, yesterday, April 16, 2011, for the 3rd Annual Celebration of Seagrove Potter’s Spring Kiln Openings, but besides a little rain, wind and thunder – at times, you wouldn’t have known that the deadliest storm system of the year was passing overhead and all around. A system that killed nearly 50 people and left millions of dollars in damage from Oklahoma to North Carolina – including an area just 10 miles from the headquarters of Carolina Arts in Bonneau, SC, where a tornado destroyed a church.

Such is life. It reminds me of a time when some high school friends and I decided to make a trip to Montreal, Canada for a weekend visit in 1969. When we got home we learned that the Woodstock Festival had taken place just 100 miles to the south in New York. Timing is everything, and I guess I had good timing yesterday as I traveled 200 miles to Seagrove and 200 miles back home and saw very little of what I would call nasty weather.

My day started at 4am. It almost felt like the old days when I delivered Carolina Arts. I had prepared food and drink, I had my pack of CD’s of the greatest music every made from the 1960′s and a full tank of gas. It’s a good thing the Honda is getting 42.5 mpg these days.

Linda, my better half, had been hoping to make this trip with me, but she still had a bad cold that had her confined to the house.

Within 45 minutes of leaving the homestead I was on I-95 heading towards Florence, SC, where I would pick up Hwy. 52 to head north to Rockingham, NC, where I would pick up Hwy. 220, the future I-74, I-73, which would take me right to Seagrove. I can’t wait for the day I don’t have to use the word “future” when I’m saying I-74 or I-73.

The first thing I noticed was that there was a steady stream of traffic on I-95 heading South. What was that all about? Then it hit me. It’s been awhile since our boy – who is now a man (with a job) was in school – this was the Disney World migration – Easter break for schools. I was glad I was heading North. For a few seconds I wondered if the forecast of the storm had turned for the worst overnight and folks were evacuating from NC.

And, where was that storm anyway? It had rained for a few moments when I was shaving, around 4:15am, but it didn’t even sprinkle again until I reached the NC border on US 1, between Cheraw, SC, and Rockingham, the worst part of my travels this day – a narrow single lane road. But 5 minutes out of Seagrove on Hwy. 220, it seemed that the skies had opened up, but again for less than a few minutes. So, a little rain for a few minutes every hour wasn’t too bad.

The trip to Seagrove took 3 1/2 hours including two stops along the way. And, I don’t ever speed.

My first stop, after a visit to one of the new Rest Areas outside of Seagrove on Hwy 220, was Bulldog Pottery. I was the first visitor of the day, just after 9am.

Works inside Bulldog Pottery

I was first greeted by Bruce Gholson at the shop and then we walked back down to the house where I was soon greeted by Samantha Henneke and of course Mighty Max, their bulldog. Max always looks smaller in pictures. In about a half hour he finally settled down.

I always enjoy my early morning visits to Bulldog Pottery, as it means conversations about marketing, social media, and what’s going on in Seagrove. The only disappointment on this day was that Ed and Gloria Henneke, Samantha’s parents were gone on a trip to Florida. They always add some good insights into any conversation. But, before long the electronic warning system was going off telling them someone was driving up to the shop. The day was beginning.

Bruce went up to the shop to deal with the visitors and Samantha and I talked a bit more about Facebook, blogging, and Twitter. She’s trying to sell me on Twitter and I’m being a hard sell. During the conversation a few more warning signals went off and before long there was a knock at the door and it was a couple who were collectors of Bulldog Pottery’s wares. They wanted to say hello to Samantha and let her know they had purchased one of her wall hangings – which apparently someone else had expressed an interest in.

This brought up a conversation about putting off the purchase of something you fall in love with at first sight and sometimes losing out when you finally decide you can’t live without it – but then have to learn to do just that as someone else decided it had to be their’s sooner than later.

About 30 minutes later at the shop, Samantha and I watched a visitor from the New England area do just that, but this guy was going to be in bigger trouble as I think it was his wife who really wanted to buy a piece and he wanted to wait and see what the day would bring. He’ll probably be hearing about that decision all the way back to New England.

That’s right, Seagrove has much more pull than regionally in NC, my 200 mile trip was nothing compared to how far some people travel to get their fix of Seagrove pottery. They draw people from all over the world. It’s not like having an art gallery in Charleston, SC, where you can see walk ins from around the world – people visiting Charleston. The city of Seagrove, with all it’s charms – is no Charleston. Most people you find there are there for the pottery. And, I think the folks who live in Seagrove like it that way.

Speaking of downtown Seagrove, my next stop was the newly opened Co-op of Seagrove Potters, at 128 East Main, at the corner of North Street. A group of ten or so of the local potters have joined together to open this new shop. You might call it a visitor’s center for their potteries.

The participating potteries include: Bulldog Pottery, Dover Pottery, Latham’s Pottery, Lufkin Pottery, Michelle Hastings & Jeff Brown Pottery, Nelda French Pottery, Old Gap Pottery, Ole Fish House Pottery, Seagrove Stoneware, and Tom Gray Pottery. Nelda French, who was maintaining the shop this day told me she was the only potter of the group who didn’t have another pottery shop – yet. All the others can be found throughout the Seagrove area – one was just a block away.

The Co-op will be open seven days a week so it will serve as a good ambassador to all the member potteries. There’s not a website yet, but you can reach them at 336/873-7713. The shop is centrally located in the heart of downtown Seagrove – you can’t miss them.

A few blocks away was the NC Pottery Center (www.ncpotterycenter.org), always a must stop when visiting Seagrove. They have a great display of works from all the potteries, along with maps to help you find the potteries. They always have an interesting exhibit of pottery from some area of NC or an interesting theme, they have a great display dealing with the history of pottery in NC, and they have rest rooms. The two dollar donation is well worth any of those factors and after you’re finished taking in all it has to offer you’ll feel like you would have paid much more to get in the door – guess what – they’ll accept any other amount of donation you feel like making. In these days of reduced public funding – they’ll need it.

The exhibit I wanted to see was Tea Time: Series I (Teapots and Tea cups), on view through Apr. 30, 2011, so you better hurry if you want to see it. This exhibit features functional teapots and tea cups, handmade by over 70 potters from across NC – some from the Seagrove area. And, what a show it is. Unfortunately, some of the works were presented under Plexiglas, but I got a few good photos of some of the works that were not covered.

Searching Heart Teapot by Richard Montgomery

Works by John Garland (L) and works by Marty Paul (R)

I was familiar with a good number of the potters represented, like Samantha Henneke and Bruce Gholson (Bulldog Pottery), Mark and Meredith Heywood (Whynot Pottery), Susan Filley (who was in Charleston, SC, for a while but is now in Durham, NC, at Claymakers Gallery), Ronan Kyle Peterson (Nine Toes Pottery in Chapel Hill, NC), and Michael Kline (in Bakersville, NC).

Works by Stanley Mace Anderson

Works by Molly Lithgo

Two potters I wish I could have gotten photos of their work were Betsy Vaden, who had a wonderful set called, Possum Tea Party, and a group of a teapot, cups with saucers by Jenny Lou Sherburn. But it’s impossible to get a decent photo through Plexiglas. I wish I could be showing them to you as no words I could say will do justice in describing them.

I know I would drink a lot more tea if I owned a teapot and cups like any of these creations, but then I’d also be afraid to use them on any regular basis. They all may be functional, but they were really fine works of art to me. But I might bring them out every once in a while to show off or if the Queen stopped by one day to discuss one of my commentaries.

Work by Susan Farrar Parrish

On the drive to Whynot pottery, beside thinking of cookies, I was wondering where this big storm was. It really wasn’t showing signs of any impending doom. I was passing potteries that had cars parked outside and was passing cars going here and there, but no rain, no big wind, no thunder. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t let a weather forecast spoil my plans.

As I drove into the parking area at Whynot I was greeted by Meredith Heywood – her cookie alarm must have gone off. I was soon escorted to their studio where they had set up this year’s Mud and Suds offerings, inside due to the forecasted storm. That’s also where the cookies were.

Tile by Laura Weant Johnson

Inside I found Laurie Abela from Abela Soaps, Laura Weant Johnson from Snow Hill Tileworks, Anne Raven Jorgensen from Raven Pottery and platters of cookies. Not just one kind of cookie, but about six to eight different kinds of cookies – all homemade. I can tell you this. I made a respectable tour of all the art offerings before one cookie touched my lips.

Handmade soap by Laurie Abela

You can read an earlier blog posting about Mud and Suds at this link. I took a few photos, but then what was that? It started raining and there was a few claps of thunder, was this finally the storm? But again, nothing lasted very long and  people were still driving up to take a look.

Some works by Anne Raven Jorgensen

A detail of a work by Anne Raven Jorgensen

I shot this one for Linda, but you can see my focus is on the pottery

At one point I went with Mark Heywood out to their shop when another group of folks drove up. While we were inside the shop a burst of wind came up, a little rain and then a few big claps of thunder (which shook the building) and we were wondering if this was it – the storm had arrived. But, in a few minutes, it was all gone. We talked a while about work he’s been doing with Wet Dog Glass, LLC, over at Starworks in Star, NC, just down the road. They make equipment for hot glass studios, but that’s another story.

It was getting late, so we headed back to the studio once the visitors cleared out and it seemed that the storm had also cleared out – for good this time. I got a few cookies for the road and said my good-byes. As I was getting in the car, a few more people drove up and I grabbed my camera for a parting shot – it looked great outside – there were even patches of blue sky coming through the gray. Little did we know – about this same time tornadoes were touching down just East of Seagrove, beginning their paths of destruction toward Raleigh, NC, and beyond.

Does this look like stormy weather?

Next I headed to Jugtown Pottery, I was hoping to run into Jennie Lorette Keatts at JLK Jewelry at Jugtown. As it turned out, she wasn’t there when I arrived. But I got to check out the goods at Jugtown and when some ladies finally surrendered the case of jewelry, I took my turn and made a few ladies wait on me. I’m sure they were wondering why I was taking it all in – for so long, but it’s always nice to see works up close that you have only seen in photos. Linda was really missing out.  Of course if she had come along, we might still be there.

Soon I was back on Hwy. 220 heading back South and the weather was improving, more sun, more blue skies. About 20 minutes into the drive Linda called telling me a tornado had hit Raleigh and was wondering if I was OK. No sign of storms or tornadoes on my radar. About an hour later she called again and said there was a report of a church being hit by a tornado in St. Stephen, SC, a town about 10 miles from Bonneau where we live on Hwy. 52. I said I guess I’ll see – as I had to drive past that area on the way home. Our power was also out at home.

By the time I got back to Florence – back to I-95, it was just another spring day in SC – clear blue skies on one side of the Interstate and a bank of clouds far off near the coast on the other side. When I got to St. Stephen I could tell they had a big downpour, as the streets we littered with leaves and pinecones, but as I made the big turn in the middle of town, I could see down the road a line of cars, and many vehicles with flashing lights. The closer I got, it looked as if every emergency vehicle in the county was there and half of St. Stephen was there looking at what used to be a building used as a church.

The building was demolished. The path of destruction was about as wide as a football field and not as long as one. It was as if a giant had put his foot down and smashed everything. Across the four lanes of the highway there was no damage at all. This was a very specific hit – very weird. Luckily, no one was killed.

All day Sunday we received e-mails and calls from friends who had seen the news stories on the major networks and The Weather Channel who wondered if we were OK. It was about ten miles away. Here I had driven 400 miles through an area that was in the watch and warning area – seeing nothing and ten miles from our home gets hit. It just goes to show that Mother Nature is unpredictable – she’s gonna do what she’s gonna do.

I was happy to see reports on Facebook and in a few pottery blogs that many more people showed up in Seagrove on Sunday. I guess you could say – they and I were lucky.

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From the NC Pottery Center

Dr. Everette James has once again donated an important collection of North Carolina pottery to the NC Pottery Center (http://www.ncpotterycenter.com/) in Seagrove, NC. Several years ago he gave several hundred pots that served as the core of a highly successful fund-raising auction held by Leland Little Auctions in Hillsborough, NC. This time he has given over 100 items for our permanent collection.

James’ newest gift includes a great variety of forms, including early lead glazes and signed utilitarian wares from J.D. Craven, J.F. Brower, George Donkel, and O. Henry Pottery. James of course is the author of North Carolina Art Pottery, 1900-1960 (Collector Books, 2003), and so it is not surprising that his gift features major 20th century artists such as A.R. Cole, J.B. Cole, Ben Owen, Joe Owen, M.L. Owen, and numerous others. Among the rarities are a Glenn Art Pottery vase with the original sticker, a buzzard vase by J.B. Cole, a pale blue dinner set from A. R. Cole, and an earthenware vase with cobalt flows from the Auman Pottery.

James’ donation is now nestled in the storage cupboards upstairs, but a future exhibition is being planned to show off this new acquisition. The NC Pottery Center ask all its supporters to thanks Dr, James whenever you see him. No one has been more generous to the Center.

Ben Owen Pottery Gallery Opens at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte

The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte (NC) has opened its exclusive new Ben Owen Pottery Gallery, presenting custom pottery pieces from renowned Seagrove, NC, artist Ben Owen III (http://www.benowenpottery.com/). The new retail setting will be open to the public daily and has been created to feature the work of an acclaimed contemporary potter whose pieces already highlight the hotel’s extensive contemporary art collection.

The gallery will offer 75-100 one-of-a-kind pieces of Ben Owen III pottery, with prices beginning at $45. Works will range from pots, vases, jars, bowls and platters to major showpieces and spectacular larger works of art. All items are hand-created by Ben Owen, who also will make special appearances at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte for 2011 art weekends and art demonstrations.

The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte is located at 201 East Trade Street, in Uptown Charlotte, NC. The Ben Owen Pottery Gallery will be open daily from 9am to 6pm.

Valentine’s Day Shopping on Busbee Road

Valentine’s Day is about celebrating those you love. What better gift than something handmade by an artist. The Seagrove Potters of Historic Busbee Road are planning a weekend shopping experience designed to fit your Valentine’s Day shopping needs,  on Friday, Feb. 11 and Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011.

Ten shops, including three museums, a jeweler, a blacksmith and a wide variety of other crafts, all in less than a three mile scenic drive, where pottery has been made continuously for over 100 years will offer their creative talents. There is something for everyone on your list in the shops starting on Busbee Road at Pottery Highway 705 and ending at Jugtown Road.

Participents in the event include: Ben Owen Pottery, Chris Luther Pottery, Westmoore Pottery, Hickory Hill Pottery, Mill Creek Forge, O’Quinn Pottery, Cady Clay Works, Original Owens Pottery, Moore Pots Pottery, Jugtown Pottery, and JLK Jewelry at Jugtown.

Visit  (www.potteryofbusbeeroad.com) for direct  links to the individual pottery websites. You can pick up the brochure for the Busbee Road section of the Seagrove pottery area at the NC Pottery Center, all NC Welcome Centers and at any of the shops along Busbee Road.

Just Another Day at the Pottery at From the Ground Up

Follow Michael Mahan and the crew at From the Ground Up pottery as they make 500 award pots for the 2011 Uwharrie Mountain Run on his blog found at (http://fromthegrounduppots.blogspot.com/). If you think potters slow down during the winter months – think again.

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The North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, will present the exhibition, Collector’s Eye, Series I: Seven Perspectives, on view from Nov. 23, 2010 through Feb. 12, 2011. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010, from 3:30-5:30pm and is being sponsored by The North Carolina Pottery Collectors’ Guild, based in Raleigh, NC. The Reception is free and open to the public.

This exhibit will explore North Carolina pottery through pieces selected by seven North Carolina collectors. The collectors in this series are Monty Busick, Steve Compton, Bragg Cox, Leon Danielson, Joe Foster, George Hoffman and Joe Wilkinson. This exhibit presents an interesting perspective on North Carolina pottery. This is the first of the Collector’s Eye series that will begin the visual journey around the state through the collector’s eyes.

Monty Busick, an educator for 37 years and currently a consultant for Wake County Schools, is the current president of the NC Pottery Collectors’ Guild. His collection is from the Seagrove and Pittsboro areas, focusing on Mark Hewitt’s apprentice’s work.

Leon Danielson, an Economics Educator at NC State in Raleigh, and wife Sue moved to NC in 1972. They collect NC art and utilitarian pottery generally with emphasis on Hilton Pottery from the Catawba Valley. Their collection of Tobacco Road Pottery is remarkable; they established this business with a partner in 1979 utilizing the turning skills of C.B. Craven and the artistic talents of Ernestine Hilton Sigmon.

Joe Wilkinson, an Antique and Fine Arts dealer from Spring Hope, worked summers in the early 1970’s with Dot and Walter Auman at Seagrove Pottery, developing a concentrated interest in pottery. Wilkinson collects Transition Period Pottery 1916-1930 and utilitarian pottery being transformed by Arts and Crafts influences.

Steve Compton was first introduced to North Carolina’s pottery traditions in the mid 1970’s while on assignment as a photographer for the Mebane Enterprise-Journal. Compton collects 18th to 19th century earthenware, utilitarian salt-glazed and alkaline-glazed stoneware, and early to mid-20th century art pottery. He is currently District Superintendent for the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Bragg Cox, a North Carolina native, has collected NC Pottery for twelve years; he collects early utilitarian, transitional, art and figurals from North Carolina and focuses on pieces with exceptional glazes, decoration and form. He also collects Southern decorative arts including folk art.

Joe Foster is a self taught potter, having begun as a pottery collector. He began working for Archie Teague around his shop in the 1990’s where he learned a great deal. When Archie died suddenly in 1998 Foster found himself with the increased responsibility for the day to day operations of the shop.

George Hoffman, originally from Delaware, OH, has been collecting pottery for twenty five years. He began collecting North Carolina pots when he was traveling down Hwy 220 from Ohio and stopped in Seagrove at Seagrove Pottery on his way to Seven Lakes. He collects early Jugtown, early Ben Owen III, Billy Ray Hussey, and candlesticks.

Exhibitions are made possible through the generosity of our membership, the Mary and Elliott Wood Foundation and the Goodnight Educational Foundation. This project was supported by the NC Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The mission of the North Carolina Pottery Center is to promote public awareness of and appreciation for the history, heritage, and ongoing tradition of pottery making in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Pottery Collectors’ Guild is organized for the purpose of fostering and supporting the folk pottery heritage of North Carolina and the interest of those with affinity for the rich traditions and wares of this industry. The Guild’s efforts advance this purpose in numerous ways including: collecting, organizing, and sharing information related to North Carolina potteries, potters, and their wares; identifying knowledgeable persons; documenting collections and research materials associated with North Carolina pottery; encouraging new North Carolina pottery collectors, and expanding the market for North Carolina pottery.

The Center is located at 233 East Avenue in Seagrove, NC. Hours of operation are Tue. – Sat., 10am – 4pm.

For more information call 336/873-8430 or visit (www.ncpotterycenter.org).

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