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The Art of Craft
Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: October 2024
The Fall installment of The Bascom’s 13th annual pottery show will be held on Friday, October 11, and Saturday, October 12, from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Everyone is invited to browse and purchase beautiful handmade pottery while supporting local artists.
Last month, Donna Rhodes spoke with The Bascom’s Director of Ceramics Frank Vickery.
Vickery spotlighted the exciting 2024 additions to the ceramics program.
For instance, a new soda kiln pavilion and a concrete structure around it to make a patio area was completed in June.
A soda kiln is an atmospheric kiln, firing at 2300+ degrees.
Vickery says, “The soda vaporizes in the kiln due to the heat and attaches to the clay body surface and creates magical and lustrous surfaces.
“We are honoring a Cashiers potter who passed during Covid. We are reconstructing his world-class kiln, reconfiguring it here, and putting a pavilion over it, allowing us to grow our workshop offerings and the quality of instructors we attract.”
The program also added a new instructor, Ester Lipscomb, resident educator artist who will teach classes and work with the public to strengthen community and share her vast expertise.
“I’m proud to be part of each artist’s creative journey. It’s inspiring to watch their growth,” says Vickery. “By working with artists, The Bascom members, staff, and board, a community arose, and in a way, became my family.”
All this and more fires up participants and community with classes, lectures, and super-successful shows, with the 13th fall edition looking to shake the rafters of what used to be the Crane Horse Stables – October 11 and 12.
The idea behind the shows is sales, but the whole experience is much deeper than that. Ultimately the practice is to get better. Learning, preparation, interaction (which boils down to teamwork), and presentation, are the things that build community and successful crafters. Vickery, with 20 years of high-quality experience, shepherds these fine artisans to their highest proficiency.
As shows approach, studio members prepare the event. They run everything. Everyone does a shift as a helper, wrapper, customer interactor, or register-cashier. All the pieces for sale in the studio show are made by the studio members and most, if not all, is made right in the studio.
To know more about The Bascom, the ceramics program, and future events, call The Bascom at (828) 526-4949.
