Wednesday, April 11, 2012 — On Saturday, May 12th from 10 am to 5pm, whether you are a pottery newbie or a seasoned collector, you’ll enjoy the Behind the Scenes Pottery Crawl and help out deserving children and families.   



Spend a fun-filled Saturday meeting the artists, touring their studios, and admiring their creations.  Come check out 14 memorable potteries in a self-guided car tour.  Each pottery will have a unique culinary delight with a wine pairing (beef tenderloin on rounds of French bread, shrimp served with remoulade and red sauces, open-faced pork sliders, an elegant almond torte, to name a few), and demonstrations focusing on different aspects of the craft – from shaping at the wheel, to glazing, to firing techniques.  Or you can roll up your sleeves and make a pot yourself with the help of an expert.  Last year's participants were inspired by the beautiful countryside, the world class artistic talent of Seagrove, and the unique way the featured artists live and work.



The 2nd annual Behind the Scenes Pottery Crawl is organized by the Northern Moore Family Resource Center (The Resource Center) which is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization established in 1996 to serve children and families in northern Moore County, North Carolina.  The area that The Resource Center serves has been decimated by the departure of manufacturing over the last 30 years and it has resulted in too many children living in poverty.  The Resource Center helps at-risk children succeed academically by offering, among other things, after school programs and summer camps.  The Resource Center is a United Way agency and their six-week free summer day camp is partially funded by the United Way.  All proceeds from the Pottery Crawl will help children and strengthen local families.  Potters will generously donate 15 percent of all sales during the event to the Resource Center.



The Pottery Crawl is much more than a one dimensional art gallery experience.  It’s a ‘Behind the Scenes’ look at how and where the art is created.  It’s about the uniqueness of each individual potter.  To visit the potters is to immerse oneself in their creative world.  For them life and work are fused together by their artistry, as many live and work in the same environment.  Often they live on winding country roads, and when you venture down them you may find a beautiful sculpture garden, a lush pond, a picturesque log cabin, or a sturdy converted barn.  It’s quiet in the country except for the sound of the clay fired wind chimes, or the crow of a rooster.



And of course, there is the art itself.  On this pottery tour you’ll find a rich diversity of styles, colors, shapes and sizes that range from the decorative to the utilitarian.  You’ll encounter pieces that are worthy of museum lighting, as well as everyday treasures like place settings, serving bowls and mugs that will jazz up a room or any meal.  Every potter is an artist with his/her own unique style.   



Pottery in the Area



Seagrove's pottery tradition dates back to the 18th century, before the American Revolution, due to the high quality of the local clay.  Today it’s known for the high concentration of potters, the unsurpassed artistic talent, and the eclectic mix of people - some with roots eight generations deep and others drawn here from around the world.  



The following are the potters on the tour: Avery Pottery and Tileworks, Ben Owen Pottery, Blue Hen Pottery, Bulldog Pottery, Chris Luther Pottery, Dean and Martin Pottery, Frank Neef Pottery, From the Ground Up, Great White Oak Pottery, Jugtown Pottery, Luck's Ware, Old Gap Pottery, Seagrove Stoneware, Studio Touya, Westmoore Pottery.  



Don’t miss this unique event or the opportunity to help local kids and their families.  And it all happens on Mother’s Day weekend.  So spare Mom that tired gift and spend an unforgettable day with her instead!  After seeing the bounty, you may never again give a generic store-bought gift.



Event Details



Individual tickets are $45 and Patron tickets are $100, and they include a commemorative pottery piece.  Mother’s Day packages are available for $150.  The package includes two tickets and several gifts for mom—the commemorative pottery piece filled with chocolates and a bottle of wine.   Participants will receive a ticket and program for the event, with a map highlighting all of the participating potteries.  Tickets and programs may be picked up at the Resource Center, 130 S. Middleton Street in Robbins, where guests will also have the opportunity to learn more about the programs that the Resource Center offers, or at The North Carolina Pottery Center, 233 East Avenue in Seagrove.



The Resource Center will also raffle off four-4 piece place settings of tableware from Dean and Martin Pottery and from Avery Pottery and Tileworks.  They will also raffle off a salad set, plus salad bowls from Seagrove Stoneware.   Raffle tickets may be purchased separately from tickets to the event, and winners do not have to be present at the drawing.  The drawings will take place at 5:30 pm at the Resource Center on the day of the event.  Raffle tickets for the dinnerware are $10 apiece, and you can designate whether you want to be included in the raffle for the set from Dean and Martin Pottery or Avery Pottery and Tileworks.  Tickets for the salad set are $5 apiece, and for the set of six salad bowls tickets are $1 apiece.  Pictures of all items to be raffled will be posted on our website in early April.



This event is made possible in large part by contributions from St. Josephs of the Pines and Wachovia Wells Fargo.  St. Josephs of the Pines has an active presence in northern Moore County, with its Providence Place development in Robbins—lovely one bedroom apartments for seniors, plus it brings its fully equipped Semi to Robbins for two days each month where local residents can be seen by the Moore Free Care Clinic, meet with the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care and the Benefit Bank, and soon will be able to see dentists free of charge.  Wachovia Wells Fargo provided funding to support the financial education classes that the Resource Center offers as part of its IDA program.  For more information about this program, please visit our website.



To purchase raffle tickets or tickets to the event, visit the Resource Center website at www.nmfrc.com, or send checks payable to the Northern Moore Family Resource Center to P.O. Box 190, Robbins, NC 27325 or call the Resource Center at (910) 948-4324.