Save the Date: June 10

6th Annual Sophia Street Pottery Throwdown Spotlight

By annie harpe

On Saturday, June 10th the 6th annual Sophia Street Pottery Throwdown will take place in front of the Sophia Street Studios at 1104 Sophia Street in downtown Fredericksburg. More than 25 exhibitors will be set up in the street to display and sell their ceramic art.

This month's Throwdown spotlight kicks off with Norfolk-based ceramic artist Barbara Mann (above) and her colorful botanical work. "I am in awe of the beauty and singularity of flowers and inspired by images from botanical illustrations, to garden photographs, to O'Keeffe macro paintings and primitives by Rousseau. My forms are simple and quiet so that I can use surfaces as a canvas for both stylized nods to nature

In addition to her colorful work, Barbara also does pit-fired pieces with an earthier feel. "I am getting some interesting pieces with primitive firing, introducing soluble iron, copper, cobalt, and silver to produce the elusive main element - the ghost of a leaf. These pieces are first bisqued, then the only fuel I use for the pit-firing comes from downed sticks in my backyard."

See more of Barbara's Mann Made Designs on her website: bmann8.wixsite.com/mann-made-designs were the sort that believed that getting dirty was an acceptable part of childhood. Play hard, use your imagination, and come home tired - but on-time - for dinner. Making pottery allows me to continue to play in the tradition in which I was raised. It also challenges me with the endless possibilities of every step in the creative process”.

You can find Christy's work at the Liberty Town Arts Workshop, and online at:dehavenpottery.online/ a and happy doodles. My pieces are wheelthrown clay. I paint colorful, matte slips onto greenware and once-fire in an electric kiln. Lampshades are made from mulberry-type papers - highly fibrous papers add interest when the light shines through."

Fredericksburg favorite potter

Amy Kovats will also be joining the Throwdown this year with her whimsical ceramics. "I love creating functional pieces that can be used daily. I've also been able to incorporate my love of snakes into my pottery. You'll find pieces with slithery friends crawling around and peaking over a mug to say good morning. I love that I can share both of my passions, pottery and snakes with you."

You can find Amy's work at the Liberty Town Arts Workshop and online at: facebook.com/AmyKovatsPottery

Fredericksburg potter, Christy DeHaven is our third featured artist. Christy's ocean inspired functional pieces feature whale tales, orcas, octupus heads and more. "My mother and grandmother

This month's final Throwdown spotlight goes to Richmond ceramic artist couple Wendy and Sam Padgett Wendy and Sam make a variety of eclectic, one-ofa-kind, sculptural ceramics including skeleton luminaries, moth mugs, and quirky plant pots. You can see more of their work online at:.facebook.com/padgettstudios

The Sophia Street Pottery Throwdown will feature live music by Fredericksburg favorite country and bluegrass band The Wellbillies, live pottery demonstrations by a variety of artists, and

So mark your calendars for Saturday, June 10 and come celebrate local ceramic art!

In Fall of 2021, Downtown Greens inspired our community by purchasing 56 acres of greenspace alongside Braehead Farm in the City of Fredericksburg. This once-in-a generation conservation purchase will protect clean water resources for the Rappahannock River, enhance habitat and wildlife corridor, and grow Fredericksburg's capacity to inspire and educate the next generation of conservation stewards.

This spring, Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) had the privilege to assist Downtown Greens and other local partners as they established a new riparian buffer using native fruit, nut and berry trees Here's some more about our collaboration with Downtown Greens.

How did this project get started?

In 2022, Downtown Greens executive director Sarah Perry approached FOR to learn about how her organization could enhance the wildlife and environmental value of their newly obtained property. FOR suggested that