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Tag: Ceramics
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A New Village Potter Resident: Caroline Woolard, an Intentional and Intuitive Potter
All of us at The Village Potters Clay Center (TVPCC) are so excited to announce that potter and ceramic artist Caroline Woolard is now joining us as a permanent resident potter. Caroline has been an integral part of our community for several years now. She spent two years studying full time in our Advanced Studies Program while also serving as an apprentice on our team. She is a wonderful teacher, offering pottery classes for beginners on our teaching staff. Caroline is also my media technician when I am teaching online. She has spent the last year working on her pots in one of our eight incubator studios, and is building a thriving business in the arts. It has been my hope for some time now that she would delve in even deeper and join us permanently in our community, and now is that time.
Caroline is also a very intuitive person, sensitive and mindful. Caroline’s process is a balance of intuition or what she calls “flow”, and intention, which I define as purposeful discipline. This balance is an exquisite combination to become a master of your craft and a continually growing and evolving artist. She is one of those unique women that has intention fully engaged as a part of her life. She is intentional in her work, her relationships, her play, and rest. She lives an honest and empathic life.
Caroline makes work that comes from the deeper places of creativity, her spirit. Her work shares with others who she is: her loves, her joys and her pursuits. Those who are drawn to her work are connecting with her passions of color, texture, movement and nature. Caroline’s forms are celebrated in purples, teals, and soft whites on a clay of deep red earth. “I enjoy more vibrant colors as I feel they bring more life and joy to the work.”, Caroline says.
Caroline holding her colorful, textured bowls.“Texture not only adds a visual allure that I enjoy, but it has a very tactile experience to it that encourages more mindfulness with use.”
The vivid colors and textures on her pots are a natural expression of her treasured places. The surfaces of her pots are influenced by her love for her surroundings. When Caroline is resting you will likely find her deep in nature, by the sea, in the woods, by a river, or a waterfall.
“I grew up near water and often visited the river daily. Being near water or in the forest is a happy place for me that has always soothed me. The textures and elements of both water and the forest inspire my work a lot. Many of my creative ideas come to me while out enjoying the peaceful quiet in nature.”
Carved Vessel in soda and ash.Many ceramic artists use texture tools, they buy commercial texture tools and apply texture to their pots, but not Caroline. She carves each piece fully by hand or adds slip creating motion and beauty. Caroline finds her quiet meditative flow when working and the surfaces of her pots come to life.
Fairy House.
Sculptural vessels by Caroline Woolard.One quality that makes Caroline Woolard so special is that she is not only intuitive but also intelligent. She is thoughtful. She gives focus and consideration to each piece she makes. Is the size right? Does it fit your hand well? Does this sculptural piece evoke remembrance, emotion or thought? Caroline purports that the pots we choose to use to eat on are as important as the choices of what we eat. She believes we can create ceremony in the simplest of our daily routines.
“The routine of certain forms may not always be exciting, but I do appreciate the mediation of repeating forms. I also find motivation in knowing that more functional pottery such as plates, bowls, and mugs are being used daily to encourage people to hopefully slow down and appreciate the moment of the coffee, tea, food and the community they share it with.”
Caroline holding her very popular pasta bowls.
Vessel with wavy slip, soda and ash.“My textures tend to have movement. It is a part of the making process that I really encourage myself to let go of needing to be perfect or precise, yet allow them to still flow together.” Caroline says.
When I asked Caroline about her experiences here at The Village Potters Clay Center, and why she wants to join us as a professional resident potter on our core team, she said,
“I had not really experienced a true sense of community and belonging in my life before TVPCC. It’s amazing how much one can grow and flourish when they feel seen, supported, and loved. TVPCC is a very special place where you feel everyone genuinely cares and wants to support one another in every way possible. I felt that as a student who then moved into the ISM as an apprentice for 2 years and look forward to deepening that connection with everyone in a new way.”
Caroline Woolard is not only home here but she adds immensely to who we are. You will be seeing more of her work both in our gallery and in our online shop. Come by and visit and you can meet her. You can also follow Caroline on her social media platforms.
Find Caroline here on Facebook and Instagram.
Written by:
Sarah Wells Rolland
The Village Potters Clay Center -
Surrendered to the Mystery: Village Potter Judi Harwood
Village Potter Judi Harwood is a ceramic artist with many creative pathways. She regularly throws a variety of beautiful vessels, and every once in a while she departs into sculpture. But whatever Judi is doing she ultimately surrenders all her work to the mysteries of fire, flame, temperature, and atmosphere.
Most days you will find Judi fully engaged with the clay at her wheel. The rest of the world fades away and it’s just her and the clay. Her entire creative process is a spiritual one. She invites the Holy Spirit to be present and be fully engaged in her process.
When Judi prepares her pots to fire them, she is in explorer mode, creating a variety of oxides, mica, organic materials like banana peels and corn husks and even copper wire. All these materials are placed randomly on her pots to create varying and exciting mystical surfaces.
After Judi builds up her materials onto her vessels it is then that she surrenders the pieces to the fire. This is when mystery becomes beauty. Each pot tells its own story. Each vessel has its own random and varying surface. When Judi is studying her work as it cools, she discovers each one’s own magic. “The very mystery of alternative firing is what inspires me,” says Judi. “I love the ‘always trying something new part’, and not knowing exactly what will happen,” Judi says.
Not all of her pieces survive the extreme firing process, but the ones that do make it all worth it. No two pots are ever the same, and Judi fully embraces this. In fact she is captivated by all of it!
You can see and purchase Judi’s vessels during our Multi Kiln Opening Online Sale that begins Nov 16th on our website.
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A Story of Hope and Creativity out of Hardship
One of the greatest opportunities that I have had as an apprentice is the chance to teach pottery classes, specifically teaching beginners. There is no greater feeling than teaching someone who has never touched clay how to throw, and see them pull up their first pot. The progress that I’ve seen students make in six short weeks of my class fills me up with pride. When I see their progress, I feel like I am making a difference. I am adding a little bit of joy to their life.
I am currently completing my apprenticeship and the Independent Study and Mentoring program, and I have graciously accepted Sarah’s offer to become a Resident Potter at the end of my program. That means in November I get to stay, take on more responsibilities, and continue to grow my own business under the wing of The Village Potters. Because this transition period is happening during Covid and The Village Potters’ Vessels of Hope fundraiser, I wanted to help out my studio to the best of my ability. Here at The Village Potters we constantly say, “It takes a village!”, so when we launched Chapter 2 of the fundraiser, Sarah stepped back and let the other residents be the focus, and that included me. However, since I am still an apprentice, I decided to pick up where my mentor Sarah left off. Whereas the other residents will be donating work in one of their signature forms or styles, I wanted to challenge myself creatively and take on Sarah’s original VOH forms of vases made with 2.5 lbs. of clay. They will each be thrown and glazed uniquely, no two alike. I hope to try some of Sarah’s techniques to add motion and dimension to my pots, and I will also incorporate some of my recent slip-trailing dot and cut-out work in these 100 Vessels of Hope vases.
So why is this Vessels of Hope sale and the survival of The Village Potters so important? Because of the genuine community that Sarah and her fellow residents, Judi Harwood, Lori Theriault, Julia Mann, Christine Henry, and Tori Motyl, have spent years to cultivate. It is the rare type of community where every person truly wants others to succeed. It is genuine, warm, and built from the collective agreement that we want to learn and grow in clay together. Because every person who takes a class is a seed planted in our community garden. If you take the time to stay, the residents will water you with their knowledge and expertise. They will take the time to nurture you and help you succeed. They’ll make way for you to soak up the sun; the light that comes from success, all the while fondly watching you prosper, cheering you on from the sidelines. Before you know it, you’ve grown roots and are here to stay. You are a part of something bigger than yourself and become one of many flowers in the flourishing garden that is The Village Potters.”
Read on to learn a bit more of the journey that has led me to The Village Potters Clay Center. “Concussions are no joke; I suffered two serious concussions that caused me to leave college, and those two head traumas have changed how I process and view everything. I like to say that those conks to my head just brought out my artsy side. I believe that everything happens for a reason and in this case, it’s true because those concussions are what led me to The Village Potters Clay Center.
After a stint at university and moving back home, I found myself going through the typical, young-twenties quarter life crisis, and taking pottery classes at AB Tech and babysitting, trying not to dwell on leaving my social bubble that was undergrad. I wanted to grow my throwing skills more so I looked for more advanced pottery classes in the area.
The first thing I noticed about The Village was the warm and friendly energy that I felt when I walked in the door. Resident potter Judi Harwood greeted me with a genuine smile as soon as I stepped inside, and when I expressed interest in the classes and programs they offered, she took me on a tour of The Village Potters’ vast facility. As she took me around, I could tell that she was proud to show off the home she and her fellow resident potters had built together. I signed up for Sarah Wells Rolland’s 12-week Advanced Throwing class that same day.
Through Sarah’s class, I started to feel hopeful again. After years of experiencing a deteriorating processing speed, and many failures from my concussions, I found something at which I could once again excel. Needless to say, 12 weeks at The Village Potters was not enough and so I applied for their Independent Study and Mentoring program. I also applied to be an apprentice, which means I do a work trade for my tuition to the program. There are many other benefits laid out in my apprentice agreement but the most important privileges aren’t easily quantifiable.
Being an apprentice means that I get to work for and learn the inner workings of a functioning studio. I am learning how to load kilns, mix glazes, fire kilns, maintain a clean studio, and more. I only work 8 hours a week for TVP but those hours mean that the resident potters, who at first seemed to be intimidating business women, began morphing into so much more in my eyes. They are accessible and receptive to my curious questions, and became my library for pottery and business advice. They are my mentors in clay but also, suddenly, in life.
Katie Meili Messersmith
Apprentice and future resident potter
The Village Potters Clay Center: -
Bernie Segal: A Man of Openness, Honor and Creativity
Bernie Segal, Sculptor, Potter, Fencer, Teacher, Mentor, Retired Army Sergeant, Father, Loving Husband and one of the original Village Potters passed away on June 7th, 2018. He and his devoted wife, Jeanne, moved to Washington state one year ago. Already in his eighties, he said he “needed to be closer to his family.”
Bernie was a gentle man, always generous with his thoughts, feelings, and ideas. He was truly a joy to know. I will forever cherish our mid-day contemplative conversations and his generous mentoring and creative insight. Bernie entered my life serendipitously, but has had an impact that is everlasting.
I met Bernie Segal in 2011. He was selling all his stone sculpture equipment in his studio, which was located above The Village Potters at the time. There were tables, carts, tool boxes, and shelving covered with stone dust and showing the wear of many hours of work and passion. He was resigned to quit. Leaning on his cane he explained to me that this decision grieved him, but his body would no longer cooperate with his creative passion. As we laughed and haggled back and forth about prices, I spotted a potter’s wheel in the corner. He told me that he had made pots for over 30 years and taught high school pottery for many years in California. So, I casually suggested that when he got to feeling better he should join us downstairs at The Village Potters and make some pots again! He laughed.
To my surprise, three months later, Bernie Segal came walking into The Village Potters with his cane. He wanted to join us. We sat down, discussed details, and he openly shared his need for a creative outlet and a connection with creative community. Instantly, a true growing
friendship began. Three days each week for about five years Bernie would come to work at the studio with anything from ideas, stories, life lessons for our passions, then he would settle in at his wheel in his small studio space and turn the most wonderful forms. Bernie would laugh, grunt, and sometimes cuss while making pots, but was always fully engaged. If anything was close to impossible – Bernie was intrigued! If the pot was on the edge of collapse then he was having the time of his life. I loved that about him. After about six months of making pots with us at The Village, Bernie got stronger and stronger. One day he came in without his cane, and we never saw it again.Bernie was a man of many talents and interests. He was a master fencer. Many young, serious fencers studied with him. Periodically, a young woman or man would drop by The Village and I would discover that they were his fencing students. Bernie was a natural mentor. He used every area of his work to teach important life lessons. I deeply valued and enjoyed his wisdom. I know that I’m not alone in that, everyone who knew Bernie well loved him. As a young man, Bernie was a drill sergeant. He said that one day he woke up and realized he “could no longer shout in the faces of beautiful, young people”. He resigned from the military and began his life as an artist, teaching young people by using clay as the guide.
He loved the medium, clay, but his true love was stone. “My aim is to approach each stone with respect for its unique qualities and to bring to each sculpture, my understanding and appreciation of form, my sensitivity to the emotional potential, and my willingness to explore and expose both myself and the stone in the process. Each stone presents a new and separate experience for me.” In the same way Bernie honored the creative process he honored people, and Bernie honored people well. He celebrated the uniqueness of each person around him and he shared himself openly, honestly, and with joy.
We cannot speak of Bernie and not speak of his best friend, life partner, and wife, Jeanne. Jeanne was “the love of his life”. He shared stories of their wonderful life together. He always spoke with compassion and caring. They had what I believe is the greatest blessing in life, unconditional and fully realized love.
All of us at The Village Potters will always love Bernie Segal, and we will be forever changed by knowing him. He is missed.
Sarah Wells Rolland, The Village Potters Clay Center / Owner and Resident Potter
Bernie Segal The Mentor
It is rare to meet a person, for no matter how brief a time, whose words you know you will hear in your head for the rest of your life. But Bernie was one of those people, one of those mentors. He was kind yet brutally honest, a true teacher whose advice held years of experience, experimentation, and wisdom. Someone whose every teaching held meaning that would take years to understand. And someone whose humor and kindness could make you laugh on the worst of days.
One of my favorite memories of Bernie: After several weeks of intense work on a figure sculpture, I was so excited to hear that Bernie was at the studio, that I would be able to get a bit of feedback (and possibly even a moment of praise). I had been working so hard to keep in mind the advice he had given me on my last attempt. As he ambled into the room, I heard him grunt. He made his way over, borrowed my tool, and asked if he could make a small change. Within moments he had removed the head. At first I was shocked. But with a few concise words of advice and gruff encouragement, he handed back the tool and walked away. As usual, in the briefest of actions and words, he had taught me a lesson I will keep working at for the rest of my lifetime.
Hannah McGehee, Apprentice 2015-2017, The Village Potters Clay Center
We have a tribute collection of Bernie’s work currently on display in our main gallery through July 31st, 2018.
Our gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm and Sunday, 11am-5pm. -
17 Questions with Hannah McGehee
The Village Potters is pleased to feature the multi-talented and multi-faceted ceramic artist, Hannah McGehee, for our 17 Questions series. Hannah also happens to be one of our studio apprentices. We have had the pleasure of working with her since October 2015. We hope you enjoy getting to know Hannah as much as we have!
- Why clay?
I grew up exploring the American Southwest, finding remains of Anasazi pottery in desert caves and ruins; these shards, nestled in orange dust, exposed me to the value of functionaland sculptural pottery throughout cultures and ages. At the same time, I began to feel that clay is the medium closest to the earth, the medium which feels most tangibly made from earth and rocks. As I continue my own journey with clay, I am constantly amazed by the endless variety of forms, lessons, and ideas which bring me back to nature.
- What about clay resonates with you that drives you to choose this unconventional life path?
Clay offers many of the same benefits and challenges as osteopathic medicine, the slightly-more-conventional life path I originally saw myself taking. Clay is hands-on, requiring you to literally “play in the dirt” for work. It requires patience and learning, adapting to the demands of the material. It promotes collaboration as the exchange of ideas endlessly leads to creative growth. And, the more I teach the more I realize that clay offers amazing healing benefits, just as good medicine should.
- Where did you grow up?
I grew up adventuring in the mountains of Colorado, the lakes of Minnesota, the canyons of the American Southwest. The Colorado Rockies are my home.
- Two things about your family.
I was very fortunate to grow up in a family where time outdoors—hiking, biking, climbing, skiing—was our priority. I also grew up with two parents who, in their earlier days, enjoyed creative pursuits—music for my dad and photography for my mom. Neither followed these passions professionally, instead making their livelihoods in mental health. I am fortunate to walk a path which allows me to do both— follow my creative passion while helping heal both mind and body.
- When are you most at peace in your creative process and why? What part of your process brings you the most joy?
When I am working on a figure sculpture, the rest of the world disappears. I feel completely focused and completely at peace.
- What time of day do you most enjoy creating?
Early morning when the birds are chirping but the rest of the world still sleeps is my favorite time of day. I love the peacefulness of the studio and the quietness of my mind.
- Does this path ever scare you?
Yes and no. When I graduated from college, I intended to go to osteopathic medical school after a one year ceramics apprenticeship. While that path may be seen as more traditional and secure (and thus to many, less scary), the meandering path I have found will in the end bring me to the same place—a place where I can help people be in touch with nature, their bodies, and their inner sense of peace. I take comfort in the fact that my goals and destination can remain the same no matter the path.
- Do you consider yourself a driven person? What drives you?
Most certainly. I am driven to be good at what I do, but more than that I am driven to help people heal themselves in this crazy, hectic society we live in. That may mean creating a sculpture or piece of pottery which makes them stop and appreciate the moment or it may mean working with them one-on-one, teaching them to become aware of what they can create. Too many people don’t realize their creative potential and I am driven to help them realize it.
- Is there a spiritual element to your creative process?
Indirectly, yes. My inspiration derives from my love of the outdoors and when I am in nature I feel a spiritual connection to this world.
- Artists are always into something “exciting and new.” What is the “new and exciting” thing is this season for you when you get up to go to work?
Trees! And colors! I am engrossed in making my work look as if it is growing into and out of itself. I am also exploring new glazes and glazing techniques which make me look forward to going to the studio each day. I am currently preparing to embark on my first formal study of figure sculpture in Italy and couldn’t be more excited to integrate what I learn into my body of work.- What does saying you are an apprentice mean to you?
Apprenticeship is a traditional yet underutilized means of learning. Being an apprentice goes beyond lectures into the nitty gritty of every step of the process. As an apprentice, I am am privileged not only to learn technical skills but also to allow my mentors’ work to influence my own.
- What is the most significant thing you’ve gleaned as an apprentice at TVP?
Being an apprentice at The Village Potters has shaped how I think about community clay studios. Previously, I had worked at studios in school settings where other formal structures were in place. At The Village Potters I am coming to truly understand the value in being surrounded by constant inspiration, collaboration, and learning.
- Who has been a significant mentor in your life? That person that you feel has encouraged you to be this kind of risk taker, a creative, a potter?
Since arriving at The Village Potters, each of the members has in some way served as a mentor to me. Sarah Rolland, however, has been the one to guide me throughout this apprenticeship, from life advice to critiques of my work to encouraging my dreams of one day having my own studio and chronic pain retreat center. Her guidance has helped make what once seemed a crazy dream a soon-to-be reality.
- Do you think/ feel pottery has intrinsic value?
Every piece of worked clay, from sculpture to functional pottery, was shaped by someone’s hands, someone’s decisions, someone’s dreams. This effort alone gives pottery intrinsic value.
- Share something about your work that speaks of who you are.
Most of my pieces feature some element of raw clay, often rough and un-sanded. This intentional roughness reminds the holder that clay comes from the earth and rocks. As an avid rock climber, I love playing with textures more reminiscent of rock than traditional glazed pottery.
- What about the business part of your life? How do you marry business and creative process?
I mentally separate my clay work into “business” —commission or production pieces—and pieces which are made for the pure joy of letting my creativity run wild. This keeps days at the studio exciting and never feeling like I am going to “work.”
- What do you want to say to those who buy your work?
I hope my clay pieces can serve as a reminder to rejoice in the beautiful colors and textures of this world. I hope your hands can trace some of the same paths as mind when you hold them. And most of all, enjoy! If my work can bring some beauty and peace to your home, them my mission is accomplished.
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Digging Deeper: ‘Kazegama: the inaugural firing’
Kazegama Glow After hours, days, and months of work the Kazegama kiln has been completed! And she is quite a beauty. The inaugural firing of the Kazegama took place this past weekend and it was a beautiful sight. It was certainly an instance in which it ‘took a village’ to make it happen. George Rolland, along with Karen Dubois have been working for nearly a year on nights and weekends to create this glorious masterpiece. They have researched, problem solved, welded and worked for hours on end. It is hard to imagine the brilliance that it takes to build a kiln that will not only function properly (making sure not to blow any of us up), but will also produce the gorgeous wood ash influenced effects that we are all thrilled about seeing.
Since I am a relative firing novice, I am still learning much of the science and mechanics behind kilns and firings. There is certainly a lot to learn. There are a few key differences in firing this kiln than in firing our other gas kilns (“Bertha” & “Glorifred”). One of the main ones being the need to wad each piece before loading it into the kiln. ‘Wadding a piece’ refers to
Wood ash blast on pot. placing a mixture of refractory materials under and between pieces in order to keep them from fusing to the shelves due to the introduction of wood ash. This is the method wood fire (and Kazegama) potters use instead of waxing the bottom of their pieces. That means Kazegama firing day at the Village began with wadding and then subsequently fitting and stacking each piece into the kiln. The other main difference is the introduction of wood ash. We anxiously waited until the temperature of the kiln reached 2300 degrees (cone 9) before we could ‘let it fly’ into the kiln. Hannah, Jenay, Sarah T., and Tori worked for hours sifting wood ash over and over again so that there would be clean, small particles that would float easily in the atmosphere of the kiln. The process of wood ash introduction was a lot of fun. One at a time we would take a heaping scoop of ash and hold it up to the blowers in a circular motion for four seconds. We did this on each burner/blower twelve times with hopes to ensure a consistent introduction into different sections of the kiln. The flame would burst each time, giving us an indication that the wood ash was indeed making it’s way into the kiln.
Some results on student work from Kazegama unload After all was said and done the Kazegama kiln took 8-9 hours to fire and we were able to open her up less than 12 hours after turning her off! We were so pleased to see how the wood ash swirled around the kiln and coated pots differently depending on where they were placed and how they were stacked. We look forward to firing up “Kazie” again very soon and taking her to the WNC Pottery Festival in Dillsboro. The proceeds of each piece sold out of the WNC Pottery Festival firing will benefit The Community Table, a Dillsboro non profit whose mission is to provide nutritious meals community members in need.
The beauty in creating a apparatus like a kiln is that it keeps on giving. The kiln itself is a fascinating, complex, intricate instrument that will then continue to produce fascinating, complex, intricate pieces of art.
Dearing Davis,
The Village Potters
Red Clay Halo Pottery
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Digging Deeper: Get a Grip.
Oh the handle…that small piece of clay that makes all the difference in the ever popular mug. The handle serves great function on a drinking vessel….to keep our sensitive hands from the heat and to assist an ease of motion to our mouths. Almost every day there is a brief moment where I select a vessel as I reach for a mug to hold my morning cup of tea. All of the mugs in my cabinet are delightful; therefore my quick decision is related more to my mood and level of thirst than anything else. Do I want the small, faceted white mug my friend Amber bought me after a trip to Dobra tea? What about the mug I bought at a craft fair over 10 years ago when I was first enamored by pottery…the one the artist described as his “pizza glaze” (although that glaze combination never even remotely resembled pizza to me)? Maybe this morning I would like to drink out of the mug that Sarah gave me in a care package last year? Whichever one I decide I know the tea will taste that much better as the story of its origin floats in the back of my mind.
Our task for this season in the Independent Study and Mentoring Program is to work on handles and attachments. More than a few master potters have said that the handle (similar to a glaze) can ‘make or break’ the piece. Handles, however, are not as simple and effortless to make as they often look. Due to its integral nature to the pot, there is much to consider when creating a proper handle- its placement, the negative space it creates, its cohesiveness with the base, its style, weight, and fit. The handle needs to flow, fit, and favor its pot (quite a lot to ask of a small strip of clay).
There are also multiple ways to create a handle, sometimes it seems as many different ways as there are potters. A few weeks ago Sarah and Lori each demonstrated their preferred methods of making handles, as well as other ways that we could explore. One can pull a handle off of the piece, handbuild something one of a kind, or create handles from thrown rings. The holder does not often take note of how the handle was made, but rather how it feels. Right now I can imagine the feel of my hands resting around one of my mugs- snuggly using the handle so lovingly placed.
Handles take time, consideration, and for me….patience. I am still striving to improve the design and level at which I create these important little additions. I’ll keep working at it, all the while enjoying those mugs waiting for me and my morning cup of tea.
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From Our Hands to Your Home
The Village Potters have been busy this winter making pots, teaching classes and making plans to expand the Teaching Center with a mentoring program later this year. With years of experience at the wheel, this amazing group of potters have entered their fourth year as a “collective”. Their prime location on the ground floor of Riverview Station has collectors and curious visitors are coming in daily. The Village Potters is going strong celebrating creativity in clay and people!
Sarah Rolland and her husband George, the founders of The Village Potters, have not slowed down with expanding their dream, the facility, and programs for aspiring creative people. All the while, Sarah sets aside time for her first love of making pots, and they are sought after by ceramic collectors across the country. Lori Theriault, Judi Harwood, Karen Dubois, Melanie Robertson and Dearing Davis are the other members of The Village Potters, and they all share Sarah’s passion and bring their own special story to their work.
Lori Theriault, Judi Harwood, and Karen Dubois are also such fabulous and inspiring teachers that their classes in The Village Potters Teaching Center often are full with waiting lists. Why the success? Their passion for clay, coupled with our small, intimate classes that foster creativity and a sense of community equals great success for their students. We often refer to ourselves and our students as family, and as family we aspire to make great pots and mentor our students to become great potters. We offer classes in hand building, sculpture, and wheel throwing as well as workshops in Raku, glazing, and special techniques. Our “Master Series” program celebrates highly sought after potters who have made their name in ceramics through years of hard work and originality.
Each of The Village Potters has their own style and story that comes out in their work. These are artists you want to meet so you can hear and see their story, and when you visit you will be invited and encouraged to “please touch” the work for yourself!
We have three showrooms filled with exquisite work by The Village Potters, and you can tour the 5000+ square foot studios, galleries and teaching center when you visit. You can also find work offered exclusively online, and purchase gift certificates for classes or for the Gallery in our Online Shop.
Come Visit and Shop with us!
From our hands to your Home,
The Village Potters
Sarah Wells Rolland,
Lori Theriault,
Judi Harwood,
Karen Dubois,
Melanie Robertson and
Dearing Davis -
Spring Blooms
While things are most definitely blossoming inside our studios, thanks mostly to VP Sarah Wells Rolland, the garden in front of the Gallery is constantly giving us new beauty to behold! Here’s a glimpse of what greets us each day – we’ll add more pictures as things continue to bloom!
