10th annual Mint Museum Potters Market Invitational set for Saturday, September 6
Collectors will once again have access to the latest works by leaders in the rich tradition of North Carolina pottery when potters from across North Carolina and surrounding areas return to Mint Museum Randolph for the 10th annual Mint Museum Potters Market Invitational on Saturday, September 6, 2014.
Fifty outstanding North Carolina potters have been invited to participate in this year’s event, presented by the Delhom Service League, the ceramics affiliate of The Mint Museum, promoting ceramic arts and education. Every year, hundreds of pottery enthusiasts line up hours in advance of the opening to gain access to the day’s best treasures.
Among this year’s participants is Ben Owen III of Seagrove, N.C., a member of one of the most well-known families in North Carolina pottery. “The Delhom Service League’s Potters Market Invitational held at the Mint Museum is a potter’s top-notch opportunity and a pottery collector’s playground,” Owen said. “Potters are honored to be invited to showcase their most recent creations among North Carolina’s premiere clay artists. Shoppers are treated to a wide range of clay creations in a focused environment that offers them a veritable tour of our state’s best potteries in one tent, one day. Discover a new adventure in a world shaped in clay!”
The Delhom Service League is proud to honor collectors this year by naming Carol Gorelick Honorary Chair of the Potters Market Invitational. While she and her husband Shelton collected broadly in the crafts, their focus is mainly on North Carolina pottery. Carol’s advice to beginning collectors: “Buy what speaks to you, but always buy the best you can afford. Choose one good piece rather than a number of lesser pieces….I like the personal contact with the artist that you have when you collect North Carolina potters.”
Added Barbara Perry of the Delhom Service League: “Any collector can relate to Carol’s ardent admiration for pots, and her enthusiasm for their makers. She is the epitome of the true collector: avid, focused, selective, but not afraid to take a risk on an unknown potter. Carol is one of those who have helped keep the North Carolina tradition healthy and alive.”
The $10 admission fee includes access to the event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as free admission to The Mint Museum. Additionally, there are folk musicians, pottery-making demonstrations, and food. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Individual sponsorships of $100 include special parking, continental breakfast, and admission to the pre-sale at 9:15 a.m. For $150, sponsors can also attend the Meet the Potters Party being held Friday, September 5 from 6:30-9 p.m. Sponsors will enjoy dinner, music, and an opportunity to mingle with the potters and other pottery enthusiasts. Funds raised by Potters Market provide acquisitions of pottery and library materials for the Mint.
Potters Market Invitational online admission begins August 1; details at this link. Admission is also available at the door. For questions, please email delhomserviceleague@gmail.com or for sponsor information call 704.733.9393. Find Potters Market Invitational on Facebook. On view for pottery enthusiasts at Mint Museum Randolph is North Carolina Pottery: Then and Now, an ongoing exhibition drawn from the best examples of N.C. pottery in the museum’s extensive collection. Also opening September 6 at Mint Museum Uptown is Beyond Craft: Decorative Arts from the Leatrice S. and Melvin B. Eagle Collection. Special exhibition admission is required, but free passes for opening weekend will be distributed to all PMI attendees.
Participating potters include:
Michel Bayne, Cynthia Bringle, Tammy Leigh Brooks, Kyle Carpenter, Josh Copus, Donna Craven, Jeff Dean, Claudia Dunaway, Kim Ellington, Susan Filley, Carol Gentithes, Bruce Gholson, Becky Gray, Samantha Henneke, Mark Hewitt, Daniel Johnston, Fred Johnston, Matt Jones, Matt Kelleher, Crystal King, Eric Knoche, Julie + Tyrone Larson, Suze Lindsay, Sid Luck, Courtney Martin, Stephanie Martin, Andrew Massey, Alex Matisse, Kent Mclaughlin, Shane Mickey, Raine Middleton, Reiko Miyagi, Frank and Cindy Neef, Karen Newgard, Ben Owen III, Pam Owens, Travis Owens, Vernon Owens, Jane Peiser, Michael Rutkowsky, Joseph Sand, Akira Satake, Ken+ Connie Sedberry, Eric Serritella, David Stuempfle, Liz Zlot Summerfield, Shoko Teruyama, Jim Whalen
Above image: Benjamin Wade Owen III. American, 1968- . Edo Jar 2013. Stoneware. Gift of Daisy Wade Bridges. 2013.71.4. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina.