The 19th annual WNC Pottery Festival returns to Sylva’s Bridge Park on Saturday, November 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event, named one of the Southeast’s Top 20 Events by the Southeast Tourism Society, features more than 40 juried potters from all over the country, representing 16 different states.
Greg Rasmusson, artist
Tony and Mindy Winchester of Winchester Pottery have participated in the WNC Pottery Festival every year for more than a decade. “We strive for attention to detail and craftsmanship in every piece,” says Tony. “Our goal is to make your favorite pot.” This year, the Winchesters will be adding new designs, which they call “stories,” featuring nautical and mythological themes.
Courtney Tomchik of CF Tomchik Designs says her pottery is “more clay art than functional pottery. I call it creative, controlled chaos with raw edges, which are my signature.” Tomchik has shown her work at the WNC Pottery Festival since 2007, when her family moved to Winston-Salem, where she learned the Raku firing process at the Sawtooth School for Visual Art. “Prior to that,” she says, “I was throwing functional forms on a wheel and firing in an electric kiln to cone 10.
Larry Allen, artist
The raku firing process has allowed me to use multi-layered textures to achieve my chaos. I also mix my own glazes and fire with gas at higher than normal ranges for Raku.”
Tomchik says the WNC Pottery Festival gets better year after year, gaining traction and bringing even more master potters from farther afield. “Bringing more people to the area is good not only for the potters but also for the local community and businesses,” she says.
The WNC Pottery Festival is a careful combination of highly competitive, quality-focused craft with a laid-back, comfortable environment in which visitors can shop, watch throwing and firing demonstrations, and meet talented artists. “The potters that put on this show make everyone feel like family,” says Tony.
Bridge Park is located at 76 Railroad Avenue, Sylva. Admission to the WNC Pottery Festival is $5 per person and includes a raffle ticket for multiple prize drawings at noon and 2:30. Children under 12 are admitted free and pets are not permitted. For more information, visit WNCPotteryFestival.com.
