Ninth Annual Potters Market Invitational to Take Place September 7
Established and emerging potters from across the state will be setting up their displays on the grounds of Mint Museum Randolph for the 9thAnnual Potters Market Invitational on Saturday, September 7. More than 50 outstanding North Carolina potters are participating in this year’s event, presented by the Delhom Service League, the ceramics affiliate of The Mint Museum.
The event attracts close to 1,300 collectors and enthusiasts, many of whom line up hours in advance of the opening to purchase their favorite pieces. Works range from traditional functional wares to contemporary sculptural works. The day also includes pottery-making demonstrations, live music, food, and more.
“We are very excited about the mix of North Carolina potters that will be at this year’s event,” said Lee Rocamora, co-chair of this year’s Potters Market Invitational. “Through their work, we will be able to showcase the breadth and depth of traditional as well as contemporary ceramics, and to stimulate a passion for ceramics, including the Mint’s excellent and growing collection, among those attending.”
The honorary chair of this year’s market is Jane Peiser, a well-known and widely collected Penland potter, and one of the participants in the first-ever Potters Market. One of Peiser’s works from her personal collection is to be auctioned at the Potter’s Party the night before the event. The Friday night auction is a brand new feature of Potters Market Invitational.
A $10 admission fee includes access to the event, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as admission to both locations of The Mint Museum. Admission is free for children 12 and under when they accompany a paying adult. Individual sponsorships are also available. For $100, individuals are invited to the sponsors’ coffee that morning at 8:15 a.m. and receive early admission at 9:15 a.m. for a greater selection of works, as well as preferred parking. For $150, individuals are also invited to a special Potters Party being held Friday, September 6 from 7-9 p.m. at Mint Museum Randolph, where they will have the opportunity to mingle with the potters during an evening of food, music, and fun.
Since 2004, PMI has raised more than $200,000. These funds have been used to add many works to the Mint’s well-known ceramics collections, and to the Delhom-Gambrell Research Library. The reputation of PMI continues to grow each year, attracting local, regional, and national collectors. Next year, 2014, will be its tenth anniversary.
PMI tickets are on sale now at mintmuseum.org/delhom-service-league.html, or are available at the door. For more information, visit The Mint Museum’s website or call 704.337.2010. A video with further information is available at facebook.com/pottersmarketinvitational.
Currently on view at Mint Museum Randolph is North Carolina Pottery: Then and Now. The exhibition includes selections from the Mint’s recent exhibition A Thriving Tradition: 75 Years of Collecting North Carolina Pottery, and additional highlights from the museum’s permanent collection, which features the widest array of North Carolina pottery of any collection in the world. On September 22, Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs 1851-1939 will open at Mint Museum Uptown. This groundbreaking international exhibition will present exceptional examples of ceramics displayed at the world’s fairs between The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in London in 1851 and the New York World’s Fair in 1939, as well as examples of glass, furniture, jewelry, precious metalwork, and textiles. Many of these objects have never before left their respective institutions or countries.
Corporate sponsors for this year’s Potters Market Invitational include Our State Magazine, Subaru South Boulevard, Delectables by Holly, Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd., Peppermint Forest Christmas Shop, and Rodgers Builders, Inc.
*Note: Visitors must purchase their PMI ticket first in order to gain free museum admission on the event date.