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Tom Peterson / May 31, 2016

Partner Profile: Minnesota Pottery Festival

MN pottery festivalWhat is the benefit of being a partner organization of Hutchinson Center for the Arts?

The Hutchinson Center for the Arts is a great partner to the Minnesota Pottery Festival. The Hutchinson Center for the Arts has been instrumental in helping with networking, local promotions, and volunteer recruitment. As Hutchinson continues its efforts to become a destination for the arts and to realize its long-term goal of the arts become a significant part of the area’s economy, the Minnesota Pottery Festival is just one of the many beneficiaries.

The Hutchinson Center for the Arts has continued to raise awareness and appreciation for the arts in our community which has help to increase annual interest and attendance.

We continue to look for ways to engage with the Hutchinson Center for the Arts and the other partner organizations.

What makes the MN Pottery Festival unique?MN pottery

This year’s Minnesota Pottery Festival will be held on Saturday, July 23rd, 2016 from 10am to 5pm and Sunday, July 24th, 2016 from noon to 4pm on the grounds of the Clay Coyote Pottery and Gallery, five miles north of Hutchinson.  

In 2016, we will host 28 potters across the country (and one potter from Canada!). Although many of our artists are from Minnesota, we also strive to introduce our audience to new potters and techniques from around the country. Selection is based on professional quality, craftsmanship, originality, and creativity. We also make an effort to ensure that many different types of techniques and processes are represented.

 The Minnesota Pottery Festival also offers many opportunities for our audience to learn more about pottery. We provide technique demonstrations throughout the festival (e.g. raku firing on-site).  Each year we host a “Pottery Olympics” competition where the exhibiting potters compete and display their talents in throwing. Throughout the festival, exhibiting potters are encouraged to share techniques with customers as well as other potters. And we have a Kid’s Tent where children can actually get their hands dirty working with the clay, under instruction, to make a unique piece. Following the festival the Clay Coyote Pottery bisque fires these pieces, the families are given a room temperature glaze to finalize their work at home.

pottery4What are the Pottery Olympics and who can compete?

The “Pottery Olympics” is a competition where the festival potters compete and display their talents in throwing. The competition includes throwing challenges like widest bowl and highest cylinder, and creative challenges like throwing blindfolded. The competition is set up in heats over both days so that at any given time the festival audience can see all techniques in action. The Olympics are a good opportunity to see techniques in action, engage directly with the potters about their personal throwing process, and have a little fun all at once.

How does the MN Pottery Festival Bring The Arts To Life in Hutchinson and the surrounding communities?

The Minnesota Pottery Festival is dedicated to meeting the needs of our community and bringing arts to life in Hutchinson and Southwest Minnesota.

Public interested in ceramics and pottery: The Minnesota Pottery Festival is known as a clay lovers paradise. The audience are encouraged to talk to the potters, pick up the art, and get their hands dirty in the clay. Each year we work to to bring in a large variety of clay arts so that the participating audience can continue developing their clay knowledge.

Hutchinson residents: The Hutchinson community has been investing heavily in the arts for the last decade. We continue to draw new locals who have heard from friends that the festival is a great, family-friendly, opportunity to engage with artists and learn about pottery. This year we’re looking for opportunities to promote the festival to more families through the school system and library.pottery5

Emerging clay artists: Each year there are more and more emerging clay artists who come to the festival as a networking opportunity. The Olympics especially draw emerging artists out, they stay after each competition talking about techniques and comparing skills.

Local businesses and organizations: The Minnesota Pottery Festival works with the Hutchinson Photography Club to serve food and beverages all weekend. We continue to look for ways to cross promote and collaborate with arts organizations in the area.

For more information about the Minnesota Pottery Festival, please visit mnpotteryfestival.com

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This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council (SMAHC) and is funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

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