Hilltown 6 invites all pottery enthusiasts

2-day tour is free and self-directed

By C ori U rban

Special to The Republican

If You Go

Event: Hilltown 6 Pottery

Tour and Sale

When: Saturday and Sunday, times vary

THE

POTTERS

IN the 17th annual Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour and Sale will offer a variety of both functional and sculpture ceramics including dinner ware, mugs, vases, serving bowls and platters, teapots and sculpture.

The event takes place Saturday and Sunday. There will be scheduled educational demonstrations: Watch a potter turn a lump of clay into a pot, climb inside a giant wood-burning kiln, see how a ceramic artist creates a pot that looks like a stone freshly pulled from the earth.

“I like to say that everything at every tour is new,” said Hilltown 6 founding member Constance Talbot, owner of High Hollow Pottery in Windsor, who is celebrating her 60th year working with clay. “We work, make and develop new ideas all the time. I would be sorry to offer the public the ‘same old thing.’”

Clay has kept her hands busy since she was young. In her teens it was pottery in summer camps. In college it was clay musical instruments from Peru. In her 20s, it was building a pottery business with an indigenous community in the Andes. “It was a way to make something people needed and to share it,” she said. “It has become a way to connect with people and make a living. The observation that it’s been 60 years has come as a bit of a shock. After all, I am still making pots.”

This year there will be two or three guests at High Hollow Pottery for the tour. “We are celebrating many years of working in clay and sharing our lives, kilns, trials, joys and shows together,” said Talbot, who will have Flameware cooking pots for sale “and maybe some surprises.” Prices for her work will range from $20 to $350.

Where: Various pottery studios

Cost: Free

For more information and to download a map: Visit online at hilltown6. com

Christy B. Knox, of Cummington, another founding members of the Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour, uses sheets of clay to create form and an avid gardener. “The pottery I make utilizes plants from my garden embossed onto the surface of functional pots ranging from mugs and vases to dinnerware and larger serving pieces. Her prices range from $30 to $450.

“Originally, six potters got together to organize the tour, thinking how wonderful it would be for people to come visit each of the studios and be able to see where and how we make our work,” she said.

This year there will be eight host potters and 18 guest potters. “We’ve kept the name ‘Hilltown 6’ to recognize our roots and humble beginnings,” Knox said.

The potters, based in the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts, are Robbie Heidinger, Christy Knox, Maya Machin, Michael McCarthy, Hiroshi Nakayama, Mark Shapiro, Constance Talbot and Sam Taylor. The tour is free, open to the public and self-directed.

“I think what sets us apart is our emphasis on educational programing,” Knox said.

There will be free demonstrations at each of the studios throughout the weekend, and visitors will be able to see how pots are made and a variety of pottery techniques. “Whether you know nothing about pottery or are an aspiring potter, these demos offer insights of what goes into each pot,” she said.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to local elementary schools for art supplies. This year, to inspire young artists to embrace life-long creativity, the donation is in honor of Talbot. For more information and to download a map go to hilltown6.com.