Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC, Will Host Visiting Artist Mark Hewitt – Feb. 13, 2014

North Carolina potter Mark Hewitt will hold ceramics demonstrations and give an artist’s talk Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC.

Demonstrations of the art of throwing ceramics will be in Room 151 from 9:30am until noon and 1:30 – 4pm. Hewitt will give an artist’s talk at 5pm in Room 130.

Hewitt’s visit to the WCU School of Art and Design is funded by the Randall and Susan Parrott Ward Endowed Fund for Ceramics. All events are free and open to the public.

Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, Hewitt is the son and grandson of directors of Spode, makers of fine china. In the early 1970s, he decided to become a studio potter rather than an industrial manager and began apprenticeships with leading ceramic artists in the United States. He and his wife, Carol, moved to Pittsboro in 1983 to set up their pottery studio.

Hewitt specializes in planters and jars and uses local clays in his pieces. His work has been featured in Smithsonian magazine and on the cover of American Craft magazine. He has exhibited throughout the U.S. and in London and Tokyo.

“Mark is an Englishman who settled in a small town near Raleigh because he loves the North Carolina wood-fired ceramics tradition and, I hope he would agree, wants to be part of it. He has become one of the best-known potters in the state,” said Joan Byrd, a WCU professor of ceramics.

For more information, contact Byrd by e-mail at (jbyrd@wcu.edu) or call 828/226-3595.

North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, Offers Two Special Events Related to It’s Current Exhibit – Mar. 10 and Apr. 14, 2012

Plan to join us for two special event days complementing our current exhibit: What’s Upstairs? Seeing the NCPC’s Hidden Treasures.

A frequent complaint of museum-goers is that much of a museum’s collection of objects and artifacts is stored away out of view and is rarely seen by anyone but staff and qualified researchers. Understandably, museum collections can be vast in size and public exhibition space is often large enough to display only a fraction of an institution’s holdings at any one time.

So, for the first time, many objects not previously included in NCPC exhibits have been brought downstairs for visitors’ viewing and enjoyment. In addition, a sample of the Center’s significant collection of art pottery produced by Lee County’s North State Pottery is displayed. In the future, more of the stored objects will be added to the permanent collection exhibit and others will be incorporated into upcoming short term exhibitions.

Back jug unknown from Catwaba Valley and front jug by
Burlon Craig

Open for viewing through Apr. 28, 2012, What’s Upstairs? Seeing the NCPC’s Hidden Treasures will be complemented by two special event days on Mar. 10 and Apr. 14 (noon – 2pm each day). In addition to speakers on each day discussing both personal and institutional collection of North Carolina pottery, experts will be available to identify and discuss visitors’ own North Carolina pottery brought in for identification.

The NCPC will also release a new color catalog on Mar. 10, of Alamance County Historical Stoneware, highlighting in print the first time a large group of these spectacular pots which haven’t been seen together since they emerged from Alamance County kilns about a hundred and sixty years ago. The text is by potter and curator Mark Hewitt.

Face jug from Brown Pottery

On Apr. 14, along with the festivities, two catalogs will be released. The first catalog highlights pieces from the North Carolina Pottery Center’s permanent collection with text by the curator of this exhibit, Steve Compton author and pottery collector. The other catalog being released is a first of its kind, a rare grouping of nineteenth and twentieth century Grave Markers that take many forms and often have names, dates, and epitaphs inscribed on them. The catalog text is by Dr. Charles Zug, author and curator of a number of pottery exhibits

Both events are open to the public and will be educational and entertaining. The catalogs will be for sale and the curators will be signing catalogs and answering questions. We encourage you to bring in old North Carolina pottery pieces to find out more about them. We will also have instructions for donating pottery to the NCPC’S permanent collection, which is a taxable deduction. Light refreshments will be served.

The mission of the North Carolina Pottery Center is to promote public awareness of and appreciation for the history, heritage, and ongoing tradition of pottery making in North Carolina.

The Center is located at 233 East Avenue in Seagrove, NC. Hours of operation are Tue. – Sat., 10am – 4pm.

For more information, please call 336/873-8430 or visit (www.ncpotterycenter.org).

NC Pottery Center will be Selling Raffle Tickets at the 4th Celebration of Seagrove Potters in Seagrove, NC – Nov. 18-20, 2011

The North Carolina Pottery Center invites you to stop by their booth at the 4th Celebration of Seagrove Potters, November 18-20, 2011, held at historic Luck’s Cannery, located at 798 NC Hwy 705 (the Pottery Highway) in Seagrove, NC. Check out the upcoming exhibit schedule and special events such as The Potter’s Palette to be held February 4, 2012. See examples of these outstanding canvasses painted by many of North Carolina’s best potters.  We will also have pottery books, plate stands, membership opportunities, raffles, and more!

This outstanding piece by Michael Kline of Bakersville, NC, will be raffled to a lucky member of the NCPC. Every member visiting the NCPC booth will get one ticket and have the opportunity to buy additional tickets: 1 for $5.00 or 3 for $10.00. Members who cannot attend the Celebration can call membership at the NCPC by Wed, November, 16, 2011, to have a raffle ticket entered. Don’t miss out on a chance to win this piece.

Join today at (http://www.ncpotterycenter.com/membership.htm) or at the Celebration! You can join for as little as $35.

The raffle tickets for this beautiful pitcher made by Mark Hewitt, Pittsboro, NC, are available for purchase by everyone attending the Celebration. Stop by the NCPC booth to see this wonderful piece and purchase tickets: 1 for $5.00 or 3 for $10.00.

While in Seagrove be sure to visit the NCPC and see the Mint Museum’s exhibit, Collecting North Carolina Pottery for 75 Years, on view through Jan. 28, 2012, and the Potter’s Palettes, including paintings by NC’s potters. Both are exciting temporary additions to the permanent displays that you won’t want to miss! Your NCPC is open Tuesday thru Saturday, 10am-4pm.

Admission to the Saturday & Sunday Celebration of Seagrove Potters is $5, with children 12 and under are free. Tickets to the Friday night Gala is $40 in advance. Gala tickets and more info available at (www.CelebrationofSeagrovePotters.com).

For further info about the NC Pottery Center call 336/873-8430 or visit (http://www.ncpotterycenter.com).