Carolina Pottery Festival: A Celebration of Clay!

There is a unique event that takes place the second Saturday of each November…unlike any other craft show…this festival includes ONLY pottery and some of the most talented artists in the area!

Held at the Cleveland County Fairground, the Carolina Pottery Festival was an immediate hit in 2001 and the five founders of the event were amazed by the turnout.

Their goals in 2001 were to have 30 potters willing to show their work, a wide variety of pottery available and to make it successful for all of the participants. With 60 potters signed on within a month and 2,000 festival-goers attending the event, they couldn’t have been happier

The Pottery Festival came about when Kaye Lowery, Ron Philbeck, Bobbi Black, Allen Griffin, and Vicki Gill decided it was time for the large community of Potters in the area to have a show dedicated only to their craft. These folks had met over the years at other craft shows and pottery classes. They felt that there was a strong enough interest in this craft and the pottery lifestyle to make it a worthwhile event. They were right!

Approximately 200 people walked through the gate promptly at 10:00 am for the start of the 3rd Annual Festival. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early, because the pottery goes fast. The fairgrounds were packed by 11:00 am and outside a line to buy tickets had formed about 50 deep.

This is a “non-juried” show, which means in January, when the applications are made available to the vendors, the 85 open spots are applied for and accepted without review of the pottery the vendors will show. It is a first come, first served basis and when the spots are filled, that is it. This allows for an amazing variety of styles to be present. There are also several potters who demonstrate throughout the festival…who knew you could do so much with clay?!

The five organizers offered some insight into their lives and the rising popularity of pottery. Black commented that in her years of making pottery she has seen a shift from decorative pieces to a demand for functional, every day use pottery. She has her studio in Denver, NC and considers her signature piece to be her angels.

Philbeck agrees that folks want to get back to functional, yet beautiful, pottery to dine on, entertain with and feel a stronger connection to their past. He took pottery classes during college where he found his calling. He enjoys making functional and decorative pieces using a technique called “salt glazing,” which gives each piece of pottery a lovely texture, color and story from the kiln.

Griffin teaches two pottery courses at Gaston College and says, “My students have a strong desire to create and to get back to earth to feel a connection with making something with their hands.” He feels that with all of the technology and convenience we have at our fingertips, it is easy to feel disconnected with what is real.

Lowery has enjoyed pottery even before she began creating it. She always bought pieces while on vacation or traveling then decided to try her hand at it. She is now one of Griffin’s students and favors RAKU pottery, which is a 16th century style of glazing and heating that produces vibrant colors and crackles.

Gill moved to North Carolina from Louisiana with a degree in Painting. Many of her art pieces contain a leaf pattern and others, including her bowls, platters, decorative wall hangings and jewelry, have an Oriental flare.

Believing pottery to be an art form all it’s own, Gill says, “Pottery is unlike any other. Clay is a natural material that you form into whatever your creative mind dictates.”

If you want a wonderful, relaxing, educational day, mark your calendar to attend the 4th Annual Carolina Pottery Festival on November 14, 2004! The potters are set up in two buildings, so don’t let bad weather deter you! The admission fee is $2.00, half of which goes to the Cleveland County Arts Council. There are food vendors available and they also hold drawings for free pottery. What better way to spend a Saturday in November!

by Beth Hardy