August 2013

North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, Offers Pottery Exhibit Focused on Food & Annual Fundraiser

Foodwares: Pottery for Storage and Preparation of Food will be the next exhibition at the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC. This exhibition will run from Aug. 9 through Oct. 26, 2013. A reception will be held on Aug. 9, from 6-8pm.The exhibition was curated by Mary Farrell.

The combination of pottery and food is a natural! Foodwares will explore the changes over time in North Carolina-made pottery used for food storage and for preparation and cooking of food. Half of the wares displayed are historical and the rest are from potters working in our state today. Pottery used with food is a common example of art in use in everyday life.

For some, Foodwares will bring back memories of family members cooking in pottery. Other viewers may come away from the exhibition with a little more knowledge of the cultural changes that affected eating, cooking, and the pottery used with food.

The historical wares include pieces from many different counties in North Carolina. The earliest will be from the very late 1700s. The work of 27 potters working today will be highlighted as well.

“Pottery has been used with food for centuries in North Carolina,” says curator Mary Farrell, “and even today many potters in this state turn out very fine wares that are still used for food by those who own them.” Farrell stated that her biggest problem was that there simply was not enough space to display all the historical and contemporary pieces that she wanted to show. The exhibition does, however, present a small taste of foodwares that were and are now available from the potters of this state.

Low-tech interactive gallery guides available to those viewing the exhibition are designed to enhance the experience of museum visitors. The gallery guides have sections appropriate for adults and for children.

Two educational programs will be offered in October in conjunction with the exhibition. More information will be released on these programs in the upcoming weeks.

All the wares from the potters working in our state today will be for sale. Pottery from the following contemporary North Carolina potters will be included: Jon Arsenault of Youngs Cove Pottery in Asheville, Robin Beckett of Beckett Pottery in Pfafftown, Bulldog Pottery of Seagrove, Cady Clayworks of Seagrove, From the Ground Up of Robbins, Tina Granville of Raleigh, Tom Gray Pottery of Seagrove, Deborah Harris of Chapel Hill, Hickory Hill Pottery of Seagrove, Jugtown Pottery of Seagrove, Latham’s Pottery of Asheboro, Liberty Stoneware of Liberty, McNeills Pottery of Seagrove, New Salem Pottery of Randleman, O’Quinn Pottery of Seagrove, Original Owens Pottery of Seagrove, Molly Pasca of Durham, Ron Philbeck of Shelby, Ron Propst of Winston-Salem, Ray Pottery of Seagrove, Joy Tanner of Burnsville, Charlie Tefft of Greensboro, Thomas Pottery of Seagrove, Brad Tucker of Creedmoor, Tim Turner of Linville, David Voorhees of Zirconia, and Doc Welty of Leicester Valley Clay in Leicester.
This exhibition would not have been possible without the following sponsors who have so generously donated to the exhibition: Modeste Arthurton, Bluebird Hill Farm of Bennett, NC, Monty and Ann Busick, Carolina Crockery of Seagrove, NC, Tommy and Ann Cranford, Carolyn Dilda, Goodnight Educational Foundation, John W. and Anna H. Hanes Foundation, Hatfield Pottery of Seagrove, NC, Historical Cooking Guild of the Catawba Valley, Dan Livingstone, Linda Carnes-McNaughton and Kirk McNaughton, Anne Spencer Megerian, Margaret Jeanne Megerian, Fred and Kay Moss, National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, NCPC members, Pat Palmer, Sally Phillips, Thomas Pottery Farm of Seagrove, NC, Mary and Elliott Wood Foundation, and anonymous sponsors.

The Pottery Center will be also be hosting its biggest fundraiser of the year on Aug. 28, 2013, with the 14th Annual Pottery Auction Fundraiser, “Going, Going, Gone to Pots,” and “Fill Your Plate” Supper, starting 6pm, in Hillsborough, NC. The auction will be held at Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales in Hillsborough. For all the auction details, including how to purchase tickets, please see the Event listing for the annual auction here on our Facebook page or go to the NCPC website (www.ncpotterycenter.org).

North Carolina Pottery Center (NCPC) is a nonprofit museum showcasing the pottery and pottery culture of all of North Carolina. It is located in the heart of Seagrove.

For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call NCPC at 336/873-8430, visit (www.ncpotterycenter.com), or check the North Carolina Pottery Center’s Facebook page.

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