"Cousins in Clay" Event - Pottery with Personality & Collectible Appeal

Seagrove, NC - May 31 - June 1, 2014 --- 6th Annual “Cousins in Clay” --- at Bulldog Pottery, potters Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke are sprucing up their studio in central North Carolina in the rural pottery community of Seagrove. There they will host a show and sale of contemporary ceramic art, “Cousins in Clay,” with their mountain potter cousin Michael Kline.  Their two special guest ceramic artists are Dan Anderson and Blair Clemo.  Their kinship is based on a shared appreciation for the pursuit of excellence within the diverse language of clay. In other words, “They Dig Clay.” These five nationally known studio art potters will gather together to sell their work and talk with the public about making art that comes from the earth under their feet.

This two-day event begins Saturday, May 31 at 10:00am - 5:00pm. And on Saturday, for an added touch of enjoyment, Chronis Pou Vasiliou of Greensboro will fill the air with his enchanting Greek Bouzouki music while you visit with the “Cousins in Clay.”  The event continues on Sunday from 10:00am-5:00pm with the annual Potters’ Potluck starting at 12:00 noon… all are welcome to bring a dish to share. 

There is a long traditional history of working potters making and selling pots in Seagrove, and this tradition remains strong and continues to grow in new ways with “Cousins in Clay.” Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke settled into the Seagrove community of sixty-plus potteries, seventeen years ago to make studio art pottery celebrating the spirit of the area’s long history of Artisans working in clay. 

Dan Anderson taught for 32 years at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and retired from teaching in 2002 to become a full-time studio potter. Anderson’s pots combine his love of architectural shapes and his fascination for decal illustrations with his sparky sense of humor.  He finds his ceramics a joy to make and when he is finished with the final decal firing... he admits, there is nothing like them in the whole wide world. Dan will demonstrate on Sunday, June 1, 1:30 – 2:30pm, and talk about his perception of the good pot and his experiences as a potter and teacher. 

Blair Clemo is one of the up-and-coming potters of the 21th century.  He received his MFA from Alfred University in 2010 and has given presentations and workshops throughout the USA.  He was an artist in residence at the International Ceramics Studio in Kecskemét, Hungary, and recently finished a teaching video for the nationally known Ceramics Monthly magazine’s online resource Ceramics Arts Daily. Blair has accepted a tenured track teaching position beginning this fall at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Blair Clemo will give a demonstration at “Cousins in Clay” on Saturday, at 3:00pm. 

Bulldog Pottery’s Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke make strong and harmonious functional pottery and for the past 15 years have specialized in unusual molybdenum crystalline glazes on their vases and ceramic wall art paintings. Their NC mountain cousin Michael Kline is known for his lyrical floral brushwork that gracefully wraps around his wood-fired traditional forms.  Michael Kline presents workshops around the country and is invited to nationally known exhibitions. They both write mighty fine blogs, Michael at www.sawdustanddirt.com and Samantha and Bruce at www.bulldogpottery.blogspot.com . 

Pick up a Seagrove Potters map while at Bulldog Pottery’s “Cousins in Clay” and make it a weekend visiting the Seagrove Potteries.  Seagrove, North Carolina, is synonymous with ceramics.  A unique group of over 100 potters, and over 65 open pottery shops, are located within a short distance (a 10-15 minute drive) from the town of Seagrove, making it a destination for serious pottery shopping and a time to meet the “Cousins in Clay” who are proud to make art you live with. Bulldog Pottery is located at 3306 U.S. Hwy. 220 Alt, Seagrove, NC 27341.  For more information, visit www.cousinsinclay.com, call Bruce or Samantha at 336-302-3469 or 910-428-9728, or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

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