Backyard Tourist

The Backyard Tourist
By Christa Wagner

The following paragraph came from an article written in the Charlotte Viewpoint Metropolitan Ideas and Art. I have extracted an excerpt from the column. To read the full article visit Charlotte Viewpoint’s website , scroll down and click on “Read our most recent issue here.”
Also you can sign up to receive an e-mail notice of the release of each new free issue of Charlotte View Point Magazine and to receive occasional news and notes about their organization.


“Psst. Guess what they’re calling us? We’re the urban bananas. The nickname refers to the arc along I-85 between the Triangle, Triad, and Charlotte. I think it’s kin of cute. But lately, I’ve been peeling away from my downtown Durham apartment and heading southwest to discover North Carolina’s Central Park counties: Randolph to Richmond by way of Montgomery and Moore. The eight counties that make up the cleverly named Central Park have a lot to offer the urban day tripper. In mid-November, for example, I enjoyed the Celebration of Seagrove Potters festival. There were too many beautiful things I wanted to buy, some beyond my student budget, but other pieces were perfect. Who knew there were so many uses for a slab of colorfully glazed pottery the size of my cell phone? (5$ each.) I bought four: one for my keys, two for used tea bags, and a pretty blue one for the odds and ends that always accumulate on the kitchen counter. I was in Seagrove both as a tourist eager to stock up on holiday gifts and as a researcher, so to speak, for my, graduate work in rural entrepreneurship. In addition to famous Seagrove ceramics, I marveled at glass blown at the STARworks Center for Creative Enterprise and ate a perfectly grilled pimento cheese at Blake’s restaurant in Candor, where that day Congressman Larry Kissell was also having lunch. , STARworks Center for Creative Enterprise is fascinating. STAR stands for Small Town Area Revitalization; it's a nonprofit located in the town of Star focused on growing businesses to one day place in the region's downtown areas. These businesses have a lot of appeal for its urban neighbors, in my opinion. And you can check out the whole region on just one tank of gas".........

Collaboration among the Three Corners

Above is an image I took during the set up of the Celebration of Seagrove Potters at the Historic Lucks Cannery.

I just read about a wonderful and interesting collaboration happening among local small businesses in region of Three Corners Clay.

These include: Mistletow Meadows / Flowers on Main in Troy / Trees NC / Seagrove Potters

Take your time reading through this post and article, and please visit the links that I have provided. There is a lot of information here to take in. This is great news of collaboration and cooperation to those of us that live here in the corner of the three counties, Montgomery, Randolph, and Moore.

Tomorrow on December 5, 11:00am at the Seagrove Elementary School in downtown Seagrove the NC Trees and Seagrove Potters will be planting two trees donated by NC Trees.

Here are some highlights from the news release. To read the complete article visit the Celebration of Seagrove Potters website.

"Mistletoe Meadows donated 3 large trees, wreaths and greenery for this year's event held at the Historic Luck's Cannery." Owner Joe Freeman operates a retail lot on Dixie Drive in Asheboro, but the majority of the revenue generated by his acreage in Ashe County, Moore County, and VA comes from wholesale business."....

"The Mistletoe Meadows trees and greenery were decorated in an elegant, traditional fashion by Tom Williamson, owner of Flowers on Main in Troy, NC. Tom is a long-time pottery lover and collector who has volunteered to help create the décor at Celebration for the past 2 years."......"These trees will be re-used by the Shiloh Historical Association of Montgomery County, decorated once again by the very talented Tom."

Note: This morning I read an article in the Asheboro's Courier Tribune, by Mary Anderson about the 23rd Shiloh Tea held by the Shiloh Historical Association at the historic church near Troy. To read more about this event, (which is also happening tommorrow) visit the Courier Tribune's website and read about the events tomorrow at the historic Shiloh Church.

"In October 2009, Owen George, Co-founder of TreesNC, a citizen-based organization in Asheboro that emphasizes ecological stewardship and community collaboration gave two very well received presentations to the Seagrove Area Potters Association and the Seagrove Town Council. The overall theme is the formation of a new chapter of TreesNC, called Trees Seagrove. TreesNC donated trees and landscaping to the Seagrove Library in the past. This year they donated 2 live trees to help decorate the 2nd Annual Celebration of Seagrove Potters. The trees will be among those planted this Saturday, December 5th, 11 a.m. at the Seagrove Elementary School."......

Interested Seagrove residents can contact Owen George at 336-558-6966 or through their TreesNC website.

Seagrove in the Blogosphere : Celebration of Seagrove Potters

Mike's Pots
"This past weekend was spent attending the Celebration of Seagrove Potters festival in Seagrove, North Carolina. This is the fifth year in a row I've attended and the quality of pottery (and people) is unequaled."

Donna Craven and Samantha Henneke- Gala Auction Collaborative

This collaobrative are thrown by Donna Craven and decorated by Samantha Henneke. They were fired in Ben Owen's kiln. The pair will be auctioned off together.

For more information about the Gala visit the Celebration of Seagrove Potters.

Demonstrations for Celebration of Seagrove Potters, Nov.21&22

There will be pottery demonstrations on Nov. 21 Saturday and Nov.22 Sunday.

For more info visit: Celebration of Seagrove Potters

On Saturday

12:25-1:30 Sid Luck : Lucks Ware

1:30-2:15 David Stuempfle : David Stuempfle Pottery

2:15-3:00 David Fernandez : Seagrove Stoneware

3:00-3:45 Ben Owen III : Ben Owen III Pottery

Sunday

10:00-10:45 Eck McCanless: Dover Pottery

10:45-11:30 Jeffery Dean: Dean and Martin Pottery

11:30 - 12:15 Randy James: Dixie Land Pottery

12:15 - 1:00 Dan Triece: DirtWorks Pottery

1:00 - 1:45 Blaine Avery: Avery Pottery and Tileworks

1:45 - 2:30 Jared Zehmer: Zehmer Pottery

2:30 - 3:15 Robert Saxby: The English Potter

3:15- 4:00 Craig Kovack: Kovack Pottery

Sally Larson and Bobbie Thomas - Gala Auction Collaborative

Sally Larson, Fireshadow Pottery and Bobbie Thomas, Thomas Pottery
15" high

Vase made by Sally and decorated with leaves and vines by Bobbie. Sally glazed their pot in Fireshadow's Summer Green in an electric kiln. The light turquoise celadon glaze was a perfect choice by Sally to enhance the band of leaves appliqued by Bobbie. Both Sally and Bobbie are inspired by the details in nature and was a perfect match for a collaborative piece.

To see more collaboratives visit the Celebration of Seagrove website.

The Celebration Gala takes place the evening of November 20th from 6-9. This is your opportunity to browse and shop the booths before the marketplace opens Saturday morning. We will feature a delicious spread of heavy hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer and assorted beverages. A live band will be performing and the popular Seagrove Collaborative Pieces auction will take place. Artists from different potteries will work together to make one of a kind pieces, all created here in Seagrove!
Tickets ($35.00) can be purchased on-line or by mail.

Mark and Meredith Heywood of Whynot Pottery - Gala Auction Collaboration

Cream and sugar set made by Mark, and the tray is made by Meredith of Whynot Pottery. "We wanted to make something different from our usual pots and glazes we used a cone 6 clay body which was then sprayed with white slip - the design was carved by meredith and then inlayed with blue-green slips."

The Celebration Gala takes place the evening of November 20th from 6-9. This is your opportunity to browse and shop the booths before the marketplace opens Saturday morning. We will feature a delicious spread of heavy hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer and assorted beverages. A live band will be performing and the popular Seagrove Collaborative Pieces auction will take place. Artists from different potteries will work together to make one of a kind pieces, all created here in Seagrove!
Tickets ($35.00) can be purchased on-line or by mail.

Kovack Pottery and Dixieland Pottery Gala Collaboration

14" X9"

Take a look at this one-of-a-kind face jug collaborative for the upcoming Celebration of Seagrove Potters Gala auction. The two eyed, three eyed, big teeth, small teeth crazy jug includes the efforts of four potters. Sherry James and Randy James of Dixieland Pottery and Craig Kovack and Michelle Kovack of Kovack Pottery all sculpted this 4 Face Jug collaboration together.



The Celebration Gala takes place the evening of November 20th from 6-9. This is your opportunity to browse and shop the booths before the marketplace opens Saturday morning. We will feature a delicious spread of heavy hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer and assorted beverages. A live band will be performing and the popular Seagrove Collaborative Pieces auction will take place. Artists from different potteries will work together to make one of a kind pieces, all created here in Seagrove!
Tickets ($35.00) can be purchased on-line or by mail.

Celebration of Seagrove Potters -- Nov. 20-22

Join us for the Celebration of Seagrove Potters

Join our e-mail list and a chance to win Gala tickets.

Friday, November 20, 2009 - Gala Preview Party

Please join us on Friday night for our Gala Preview Party. This is your opportunity to browse and shop the booths before the marketplace opens Saturday morning. We will feature a delicious spread of heavy hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer and assorted beverages. A live band will be performing and the popular Seagrove Collaborative Pieces auction will take place. Artists from different potteries will work together to make one of a kind pieces, all created here in Seagrove! The Gala begins at 6pm, inside the exhibit hall at the Luck's Bean Cannery in Seagrove.

Tickets are $35 and must be purchased in advance.

We will hold our 2nd annual event Saturday, November 21, 2009 from 9am to 6pm and Sunday, November 22 from 10am to 4pm. Tickets are available at the door and are $5.