17th Annual Potter’s Guild Show Coming in October

1-1 (533x800)Happy 20th birthday to the Blue Ridge Potters Guild. The guild will be celebrating with its 17th annual pottery show on Friday, October 14 – Sunday, October 16 at Patrick Henry High School on Grandin Road. The show is the largest pottery show and sale in Virginia and celebrates the beauty, art and function of pottery.

With the work of 70 local artists represented in this year’s show, attendees are sure to find unique handmade pieces to fit any occasion.

“It is an amazing show – everything from teeny miniatures to Great Big Pots – soothing fountains to functional dish sets to things you can’t even imagine . . jewelry, sculpture, knick-knacks, games – everything from artsy to zany,” says Kathy Edwards, chair of this year’s show.

In addition to the sale and demonstrations, on display will be potters’ interpretation of this year’s Gallery Theme, “Coming Home.” Invited juror and local creative PR entrepreneur, River Laker, will judge the entries and award certificates of merit to select potters based on the quality of the work as it relates to various aspects of the theme.

“Coming Home” is a follow up from last year’s theme of “Journey” and “may be interpreted as the place that feels like home, remembering artistic roots, or perhaps that favorite lasagna casserole that feels like home,” says Beth Wiseman, publicity chair for the show.

Potters will be giving demonstrations throughout the days featuring various pottery techniques including wheel-thrown, hand-built and sculpted clay art illustrating how potters take a piece of clay and create an artistic form.

The Blue Ridge Potters Guild is a non-profit organization for potters located throughout Southwest Virginia and beyond. Based in Roanoke, the Blue Ridge Potters Guild’s mission is to promote community awareness, understanding, and appreciation of pottery. The Guild also provides multiple scholarships every year to empower aspiring artists to explore the world of clay.

The Blue Ridge Potters Guild formed in 1996 with about 15 potters from Roanoke to Lexington, and areas in between. From that first meeting held in a living room, they all agreed that they wanted to build a community focused on companionship in pottery, sharing ideas, and hosting a non-juried show that would give all potters a chance to display and sell their work.

Over the past 20 years, the Guild has grown to over 115 members from the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas including Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Franklin County, Floyd, Botetourt County, and even as far as Linden. Some of these members are new to pottery, some have been in the Guild for years, but all share a love of pottery and a willingness to share their “tricks of the trade.”

The first Blue Ridge Potters Guild Annual Show and Sale was held at Virginia Western Community College in 2000. Around 15 potters showed that year. This year the guild anticipates attendance in excess of 3,000 visitors.

The event is free and is open to the public at Patrick Henry High School and begins with a sale and reception on Friday night from 6pm-9pm with the opportunity for customers to enjoy refreshments and shop the huge selection of pottery. Sale and demonstrations continue Saturday from 10am – 6pm and Sunday from noon – 5pm.

To learn more about the show, visit them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/blueridgepottersguild.

 

Latest Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest Articles

- Advertisement -

Related Articles