SEAGROVE, N.C. — Seagrove Pottery Weekend kicked off Friday with one of the community's most important events of the year, the 18th Annual Celebration of Seagrove Potters Gala, which helps support the Seagrove Area Potter's Association.
What You Need To Know
Every year, over the weekend before Thanksgiving, potters in the area showcase their work at two weekend-long events: the 43rd Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival at Seagrove Elementary and the 18th celebration of Seagrove Potters Show and Studio Tour at the newly renovated Luck Comer Lail Center.
Seagrove Stoneware Pottery co-owner Alexa Modderno has been selling her art in the pottery capital of the U.S. for more than 20 years.
Her co-owner, David Fernandez, is also a potter and serves as mayor of the town.
Modderno said they look forward to the weekend every year.
“I like it when everyone can get together and see each other, so I look forward to that part of this,” she explained while getting ready for the first night of the three-day event.
She said pottery weekend also means a boost in traffic for local pottery studios.
“For the potters here, it is an income for the rest of the winter. In the winter after Christmas, our tourist presentation here diminishes, and so a lot of this gets us through the rest of the year,” Modderno explained.
So far this year, business has been steady, she said, but some costs of materials have risen.
“Our clay has gone up a little bit. Some of what's gone up the most are the ingredients in our glazes, the metals, some are imported so, they have gone up some this year,” Modderno explained.
More than 100 potters live in the area and rely on the industry to put food on the table.
“We have an organization here called the SAPA organization, Seagrove Area Potters Association, and we try and look out for each other. So we started this potters relief group for if someone has health problems or has a disaster happen, then we have this fund. We have our potters' relief booth, where several of the potters donate pieces to help in case potters run into hard times,” said fellow artist and Seagrove Pottery Association member Eck McCanless.
He said the whole town normally sees an increase over the weekend, and although more people are tightening their belts this year, they still expect a great turnout.
“It's interesting that sometimes the economy does not reflect what the customers are going to be buying. We tend to do OK because we’re a luxury item. You know, we tend to do OK even in tough times,” McCanless explained.
The weekend will include live demonstrations, self-guided tours, a kids booth and a chance to interact with potters from across the state.
Both events help support potters in North Carolina.
This year, the 43rd Annual Pottery Festival invited western Carolina artists to come at a discount, and for the first time 25% of the proceeds from the silent auction at Friday’s gala will go toward creating a scholarship fund for local high school seniors pursuing art programs.