Face jugs in a range of styles by 12 potters will be on display at American Folk Art & Framing’s (AFA’s) 12th Annual Face Jug Show Wednesday, April 10, through Wednesday, May 1. The show will go live on the gallery’s website on April 10 at 11 a.m. On Friday, April 12, it opens in the gallery at 11 a.m., with an evening reception from 5–8 p.m.
Johnny Rotten. Ben J. North, artist
Face jugs have long been a tradition among potters in Western North Carolina. “Today, face jugs are an eagerly sought after and widely collected part of our mountain heritage,” says AFA owner Julia L. Mills. “Wood-fired kilns remain the popular favorite, but there are some who experiment with gas- or electric-fired kilns—either for convenience, curiosity or to achieve bright colors.”
Among the potters featured in the show is Walter Fleming, who at 86 claims to be one of the oldest working potters in the state. “I have an old treadle wheel that I learned on that people in the Catawba Valley used before there was electricity,” he says. These days, he also uses an electric kiln. With the help of his son, he harvests clay for his pottery from his own property. “It’s just a native, North Carolina clay,” he says, “but it makes good pots—and it’s cheap.”
Fleming discovered pottery more than 30 years ago. Early in his exploration of the craft, he heard about legendary NC folk potter Burlon Craig. “In January 1987, I met Burlon at his home and he steered me into folk/country pottery,” says Fleming. Fleming estimates that 75 to 80 percent of his sales are face jugs sold to collectors. He also makes vases, jugs, pitchers, story vessels and candlestick holders, and often he embellishes other work besides jugs with a face. “I have basically one face that I put on everything,” he says. “It’s a friendly face.”
Shino Face Lantern. Joel Huntley, artist
Potter Joel Huntley was also inspired in his early days by Craig’s work. “I bartered a pot or two of mine for a one-gallon Burlon Craig from another vendor,” he says. “I had all the needed skills to replicate this pot, but I sensed that this pot had a soul, and that that would be misguided of me. Better to keep it close at hand and learn from it.”
More than 35 years and hundreds of face jugs later, Huntley has found his own style involving “color, sgraffito, gardens and dogs, quiet and bold, deep eyes and grins.” Of face jugs, he says, “They fulfill a base need of mine to communicate our shared human failings, doubts, joys, images of perseverance and faith.” For collectors, he adds, “they speak to our common humanity, I suppose.
Or, perhaps we see something of our own journey in their faces? And, like our dogs, they sure can look like us.”
Other potters exhibiting are Steve Abee, Mike Ball, Carl Block, Michael Gates, Stephen Harrison, Wayne Hewell, Stacy Lambert, Vicki Miller, Ben J. North and Tim Whitten.
American Folk Art & Framing is located at 64 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit AmeriFolk.com or call 828.281.2134.
