Floyd Potters : Generations of Clay Gallery Opening

The Jacksonville Center for the Arts is hosting a unique pottery show of Floyd potters called “Floyd Potters: Generations of Clay” in their Hayloft Gallery. The show will feature more than 18 potters, ceramicists, and sculptors, all of whom have been connected in some way to the larger body of Floyd potters. A special memorial display for well-known Floyd potter Tom Phelps will be displayed, coordinated by the late Phelps’ wife, Carol Phelps, and will include pieces by Phelps’ students and others whom he touched through the years.
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In the Breezeway Gallery, students from Springhouse Community School will be displaying artworks and school projects. Springhouse Community School is a private local alternative high school that is based on project lead learning. The display will be open on Tuesday, February 9th.

The new Falcon Gallery will host local artist, Ron Campbell. Ron is primarily known for his pen and ink drawings, but he will be displaying other mediums as well. His exhibition will be open to the public on Tuesday, February 9th.

An opening reception for all three exhibitions will occur Saturday, February 13, 5 PM to 7 PM, and will provide attendees a chance to meet the artists and discuss their work.

More about “Floyd Potters: Generations of Clay” –

“Floyd potters are a little bit like a big family of interconnected influences,” said Jayn Avery, former board member of The Jacksonville Center for the Arts and local potter who is hosting the show. “We’ve been shaping our work for decades in the hollers and winding back roads of these hills. It is fascinating to see how our work has moved together into a unique culture of pottery over the years, with each potter finding their own individual expression and staying connected to the whole at the same time. It was the growth of the new generation of young potters that inspired me to bring us all together.”

“Pottery and Floyd go together,” said Leia Thompson Wood, Educational & Programming Director of the arts center. “The Jacksonville Center for the Arts is proud to provide a venue for the display of the incredible living history of Floyd pottery, ceramics, and sculpture.”

Tom Phelps was a successful local production potter who, along with his son Seth, and others ran an active studio that influenced many local potters. The studio is best known for its charismatic creature faces appearing on mugs, jugs, pitchers, and all manner of items. Phelps passed away in September 2015.

The artists who will be displaying work include: Abbey Reczek, Josh Copus, Ellen Shankin, Sarah McCarthy, Donna Polseno, Rick Hensley, Seth Phelps, Wendy Werstlein, Silvie Granatelli, Ron Sutterer, Seth Guzovsky, Josh Manning, Martha Sullivan, Jayn Avery, Adam Lake, Karl Yost, Hona Knudson, and Ayla Mullen.

The exhibit will be viewable from February 5 through March 26. It is free and open to the public.