Pottery on the Hill welcomes 16 of the nation’s top ceramic artists
If you love the farm-to-table movement, you probably think of bringing home fresh, local produce that you buy straight from the farmer. But you should also think about bring that food to the table looking its best. That means that after talking to your farmer, it’s time to talk to a potter. They will get your table and home dressed in beautiful plates, mugs, platters, serving bowls, vases, steins, oil jars, baking dishes, and other functional pieces so you’ll truly know where both your food and your tableware came from.
The annual Pottery on the Hill show and sale at Hill Center on October 30-November 1 is your chance to meet and talk with 16 prominent potters from across the country about their work.
“Pots for use is definitely the theme of this show,” says Dan Finnegan, the show curator. “Most of us share this passion for making pots for people’s homes.”
The pieces chosen for Pottery on the Hill show a variety of styles, influences and techniques. Some are whimsical while others are refined. Most are wheel thrown but have hand-built elements. These potters use bright colors as well as more subdued tones. There’s a little something for everybody.
And with the holidays just around the corner, Pottery on the Hill allows you to get handcrafted gifts for the holidays. Imagine giving a gift that is literally one-of-a-kind – and one which you can share the story of who made it and where, along with the process that brought that piece to life. Gift giving doesn’t get much better than that.
Pottery on the Hill features a ticketed preview reception on the evening of October 30 at 6:30 p.m. This reception offers the first opportunity to meet the potters, see and purchase any of the hundreds of pieces made specifically for this event, and enjoy free light hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, mead, and other beverages. The first 100 people receive a free sampling cup handcrafted by potter Dan Finnegan. Tickets for the preview reception are $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the event, available online at potteryonthehilldc.com.
The show and sale, which is free and open to the public, takes place on October 31 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and November 1 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. More information is available online at potteryonthehilldc.org.
Additionally, a Pottery Slam, where potters challenge each other, take challenges from the audience, and work together on pottery wheels to make pieces, will take place at the Art League Annex in Alexandria on Thursday, October 29 from 6:30-9 p.m. Potters Dan Finnegan, Mark Shapiro and Sam Taylor will be joined by Blair Meerfield of the Torpedo Factory.
Potters in the 2015 show include:
Bob Briscoe (Harris, MN), Bulldog Pottery-Bruce Gholson + Samantha Henneke (Seagrove, NC), Trista Depp Chapman (Fredericksburg, VA), Dan Finnegan (Fredericksburg, VA), Warren Frederick (Warrenton, VA), Matthew Hyleck (Baltimore, MD), Michael Kline (Bakersville, NC), Suze Lindsay (Bakersville, NC), Kent McLaughlin (Bakersville, NC), Matthew Metz (Alfred Station, NY), Donna Polseno (Floyd, VA), Mark Shapiro (Worthington, MA), Gertrude Graham Smith (Penland, NC), Sam Taylor (Westhampton, MA) and Catherine White (Warrenton, VA).
Hill Center is located at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE.