Courtney Tomchik, artist
Join 46 master potters on Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the Western North Carolina Pottery Festival returns to Bridge Park in downtown Sylva. Each year thousands of visitors come out for this juried festival that includes demonstrations as well as exceptional pottery in a range of styles, techniques and artistic traditions. “We are incredibly excited to continue the legacy of this popular and nationally respected event,” says Joe Frank McKee, Jackson County resident and co-founder of the festival. “We are proud to witness and play a prominent role in the tremendous growth of this festival over the years.”
Each year the festival organizers select an artist to feature during the event. “They choose based on factors such as the potter’s longevity, and if they have had significant contributions to the clay community, both in the educational realm and the exhibiting realm,” says Kelly McKee. The 2026 Featured Potter is Courtney Tomchik, who creates multi-dimensional sculptural wall art and has been a vendor at the festival since 2007.
Photo courtesy of WNC Pottery Festival
This year, she will also present new work using new clay bodies. “My work is considered creative chaos, where my collage background merges with my ceramic degree,” Tomchik says. She creates slab built, multi-textured ceramic pieces that are raku-fired, then assembled into wall sculptures. “I use found objects in various places to create more detail and interest,” she says. “The beauty of the raku process is the mystery of what will happen during the firing.” Among the work she will be displaying are sculpture, boxes, figurative work, candlesticks, flower vases and jewelry.
This festival will mark the 17th year that Tony and Mindy Winchester have participated and, like Tomchik, they call it their favorite show of the year. “My wife and I have been collaborating in our work for more than 30 years,” Tony says. “I do the throwing, finishing and firing. Mindy has become our primary decorator with her slip-trailed imagery, and I decorate as well. We have two different kilns—a gas-fired reduction and a salt kiln—and we will have a selection from both in our booth.”
Winchester believes there are a number of reasons the festival ranks high among participants as well as attendees. “It’s a pottery show expertly curated, staged and executed because it’s run by seasoned, professional potters, artists and teachers,” he says. “Their combined expertise alone virtually guarantees that some of the finest pottery in the country is represented every year.”
Admission to the festival is $8 per person, cash only, and includes entry into a raffle of pottery with two drawings during the day. Children under 12 are admitted free. Learn more at WNCPotteryFestival.com, including how to sign up for a 30-minute early entry to the show.
