5th Annual Celebration of Seagrove Potters - 2012

Bruce Gholson, Ed Henneke, Samantha Henneke at the 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters

The Celebration of Seagrove Potters was a blast. It takes a small village to make an event like this happen, and through the determination and perseverance of the volunteers and the Seagrove Potters working together, another year went well and the weekend was a joyous occasion.  

We began Thursday evening to set up our work in our booth. It takes a lot of shuffling around of pots to find a right placement for them. It probably takes us around 6 hours to final set up.  This year we were all set up and done Thursday evening, and ready for Friday's Gala, which was a first for us.

We are slowly loading up images of the weekend on the Celebration of Seagrove Potters facebook page. If you would like to view what we have done so far check out the Celebration of Seagrove Potters 2012 Album,  and "like us" while you are there to keep up with what we are doing in the future. 

Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke setting up for the 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters 

This is our finished booth display after we left Thursday evening. We had a variety of our work to offer to the opening Celebration crowd. We had our crystalline decorative vases, our Moka glazed white stoneware, Samantha's glaze paintings, and Bruce had a selection of his shino and luster shino pieces.  

Bulldog Pottery booth at the 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters 

Ed and Bruce worked together to take care of our customers. Usually I am behind there with them, but I stepped out a lot to take pictures of what was going on around us, and at the other potter's booths. Images are being posted on Celebration's Facebook page.

Bruce Gholson and Ed Henneke packing up some Bulldog pieces for the trip to their new home

 One of the highlights of the Friday evening Gala is the collaboration auction. This year Bruce and Ben Owen III worked together on two crystalline vases, Bruce threw the two vases and Ben glazed them, and then a larger piece that Ben threw and Bruce decorated with his fossil fish imagery, which Ben glazed and fired.  This year the potters talked about their collaborations before the piece went on the auction block. It is always fun for the crowd, and for us, to see what our fellow potters come up with.

Ben Owen III and Bruce Gholson the Gala during the 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters 

 Bruce Gholson and Ben Owen III during the Gala auction at the 5th Annual Celebration of Seagrove Potters 

One of two of Bruce Gholson's and Ben Owen's III collaborative matte crystalline pieces for the 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters Gala  

The Four Saints Brewery were also set up for the Gala Friday evening. We are super excited that they will be opening a micro brewery in Asheboro.  A hand full of years ago Asheboro was a dry town, and now it is blossoming with new restaurants downtown, and a upcoming micro brewery.

 Four Saints at the 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters Gala  

During the weekend we like to catch up with how our pottery neighbors are doing. Over the four days we all have conversations finding out about one anothers families and what is going in our pottery business.  We see each other periodically throughout the year, but we are busy people and there are times that it has been awhile since we last got together.  Just about all of us maintain pottery shops open to the public on a day to day basis so most of the time we are at our individual studios and open shops. 

Bruce Gholson, Ben Owen III, Crystal King, David Fernandez

Throughout the weekend potters take the time from their booths and give hour long demonstrations. Below, at the end of his demonstration on Sunday, Ben Owen III worked with a few of the audience that remained and showed them how to turn a pot on the wheel.  

Ben Owen III demonstration at the 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters  

The potters donate a piece of pottery each for the silent auction on Saturday.  People peruse the pieces on display in the front room of the building. It is a good way to see an example what the Seagrove Potters have at their booths.  There is always excitement around 3:00 when the bidding ends.

Silent Auction on Saturday at the 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters 

There are many people that attend the Celebration of Seagrove Potters event from all over North Carolina and many other states are represented there as well.  Many people are collecting for themselves, as well as, buying presents for the holidays.  There is always an excitement in the air as people look over all of the different kinds of pottery that the Seagrove Potters have on display.

 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters at the Historic Lucks Cannery, North Carolina

People ask all kinds of questions and we are happy to answer them, and talk about our pots.  Having so much interest and questions, gives us a chance to talk about, and share with them what we do during the many hours that we spend in the studio.

5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters at the Historic Lucks Cannery, North Carolina

 We saw pots going out on dollies last weekend, like the ones below of Chad Brown's.

Chad Brown transporting pots for some collectors at the 5th Celebration of Seagrove Potters 

Sunday morning we all gathered together for a picture to thank all of you for coming out to see us and support us in what we do. When you buy handmade local pottery (or other crafts and art), you are supporting a local entrepreneurial enterprise, a small business.

The Seagrove Potters at 5th Annual Celebration of Seagrove Potters, Historic Lucks Cannery,
Seagrove,North Carolina 

Don't forget to visit our open shops here in Seagrove throughout the Year. 

Seagrove, NC is synonymous with ceramics--where a unique group of over 100 potters and at least 60 open pottery shops are located, which makes it a destination for serious pottery shopping.

We have a Holiday Kiln Opening coming up with new pots being made for 

December 15th, 2012

10:00am-5:00pm 

at our place here in Seagrove

Our pottery can be easily reached 5 miles south (on 220 alt) of the traffic light in Seagrove, look for the disinctive blue water tower beside the driveway leading to our studio.