April 2013

Group of Carolina Potters Gather in Charlotte, NC for Spring Pottery Sale - Apr. 27 & 28, 2013

A group of Carolina potters will gather together for a biannual outdoor sale, called Thrown Together in Charlotte, NC, on Apr. 27 and 28, 2013.

Thrown Together includes Michael Hamlin-Smith, Jennifer Mecca, Ron Philbeck, Amy Sanders, and Julie Wiggins. All totaled, the group has more than 60 years of studio pottery experience, and has successfully organized this event for five years. Their spring sale features a variety of bowls, mugs, jars, vases, serving pieces, and many other one-of-a-kind wares for enthusiasts and collectors alike.

This year’s guest artist hails from Mitchell County, NC. Michael Kline is best known for his floral and vine surface designs, as well as his hugely popular blog, “Sawdust & Dirt.” Kline, a former resident artist at Penland School of Crafts, now lives in Bakersville, NC, with his wife and two daughters. “I’m looking forward to the camaraderie that a show like Thrown Together nurtures,” says Kline. “Doing a group show allows me time for fellowship and dialogue that I don’t necessarily have while working. Being together with other potters and their work also gives me a different perspective of my own work beyond the context of where it is made.”

The benefits for visitors are likewise important. The open, group atmosphere of Thrown Together allows people to see a wider variety of work in one afternoon, while also engaging with the artists.

Michael Hamlin-Smith’s abstract vessels and vases add sleek, minimalist décor to a home or office, while Jennifer Mecca’s signature notes and quotes on the bottom of her pieces lend a touch of whimsy to the morning coffee routine. Amy Sanders uses homemade stamps for her highly textured, earth-toned surfaces, while Julie Wiggins’ work evokes the natural world with lightly carved floral, vine, and bird patterns in ivory, blues, and greens.
“We each truly care about the work we make and put every effort into making pots that are beautiful, useful, and meaningful,” says Ron Philbeck, whose earthenware plates, bowls, and platters capture a fairy tale of farm life. “I think that the work each one of us makes really shows the personality of the maker.”

Admission to Thrown Together is free, with the artists selling their work in an outdoor, family friendly environment from 10am-4pm Saturday and noon-4pm Sunday at 1225 Dade Street in Charlotte, NC.

For further info or direction call 704/650-5662 or visit (www.throwntogetherpotters.com).

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