It’s almost time for one of the ‘hottest’ events of the summer: The 6th Annual Minnesota Pottery Festival! This event will take place Saturday, July 29th from 10am – 5pm and Sunday, July 30th from 12pm – 4pm. This is a free event and open to all ages. Located at 17614 240th St. Hutchinson, MN 55350, you will find over 35 different pottery vendors from across the United States on site ready to showcase and sell their works of art. Some of the returning artists include:
Karen & Mike Baum — Baum Pottery (OH)
Kerry Brooks — Dock 6 Pottery (MN)
Kevin Caufield — Caufield Pottery (MN)
Miky Cunningham — Cunningham Pottery (IA)
Lewis Derry — Asleep @ the Wheel Pottery (MN)
Bill Gossman — Gossman Pottery (MN)
Luci Haas — Adorae Artworks (MN)
Travis Hinton — Travis Hinton Pottery (SD)
Tony Holman — Holman Pottery (TX)
…as well as 11 others and 14 first-timers to the festival, four of them being new, emerging artists.
There’s plenty of things to do and see at the festival. The Hutchinson Phoenix Drumline will be performing at 10:30am on Saturday and 1:45pm on Sunday. They will also be selling concessions throughout the day with the proceeds going to their fundraiser. Another fun event is the Kids’ Station where children of all ages can try their hand at throwing a pot and the Clay Coyote will fire the pieces and families can come back to pick them up between August 4-12. This is a great way to get the kids involved and put their artist skills to the test!
A Rakú demonstration will be happening twice on Saturday at 11:45am and 3pm and once on Sunday at 12:45pm. This will be done by potter Joe Frank McKee from North Carolina. He will be demonstrating the art of the Rakú style of firing pottery! Rakú is a Japanese word that means enjoyment, happiness, and comfort. This is an ancient technique where the pottery is fired outdoors in a wood or propane kiln. While the glaze is still molten, the pots are pulled out to cool in the open air. Be sure to check it out!
The main event that is being held is the Pottery Olympics! The potters that our joining us this year will compete against the clock and be judged on their work in different categories such as tallest cylinder, widest bowl, and even best piece while blindfolded! There will be five different heats, three on Saturday and two on Sunday. Each heat will last a half hour and the winners will be announced Sunday at 3:30pm. This is one event you will surely not want to miss!
Here is the full schedule for this weekend’s event!
We hope to see you out here THIS WEEKEND to support the potters and appreciate the art being made. This fun and exciting event will be sure to create lasting memories!
