Pine Island Potters’ Guild’s Spring Cleaning Show Saturday
The Pine Island Potters Guild is honoring the age-old tradition of Spring Cleaning! This Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, artists and artisans will be digging into the corners of their studios for hidden treasures to offer along with their newest works.
This April tradition was passed on to the guild by Chuck and Nancy Koucky, who have honored this age-old ritual — usually assigned to closets — since they opened their studio in 2001. They pull out previously unseen “seconds” pottery from their season of kiln firings.
Many of the other craftsmen will be cleaning out their studios as well, making room for next season’s fabulous creations. The show will feature, in part, forgotten works brought out from the back of working studios and into the courtyard sunlight at Koucky’s, where visitors and shoppers will discover treasures.
The show will highlight works in pottery, woodworking, jewelry, paintings, and sculpture, as well as island-themed décor, candles, perfume oils, children’s books, T-shirts and hats, jams, jellies, local honey, fresh-baked loaves of bread, cookies and pies.
By popular demand, potter Chuck Koucky and some of his students will again demonstrate the art of firing horsehair pottery at 11 a.m. As the name implies, horsehair pottery incorporates hair from the tails and manes of horses into its design. The random lines and patterns, which are the signature of this style, are created when applying strands of hair onto the surface of a hot raku clay pot that has just been removed from the kiln. The pottery studio will be open as well, should you wish to take a self-guided tour.
This small, inviting venue provides a welcoming environment to chat with local artists and artisans, inquire about their craft, and learn about opportunities in our area for classes and workshops. All works by participating artists and craftsmen will be available for purchase.
For more information, please call Nancy Koucky 239-233-3003.