48 | DECEMBER 1 • 2022 

Details

The 45th Annual Potters Market runs Dec. 1-4 at the 
Southfield Pavilion, 26000 Evergreen. Preview Night, 
6-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, ($10 admission); 10 a.m.-8 
p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, (free admission); 10 a.m. -7 p.m. 
Saturday, Dec. 3, (free admission); 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 
Sunday, Dec. 4, (free admission). For more informa-
tion, email annualpottersmarket@gmail.com or visit 
www.thepottersmarket.com.

H

undreds of innovative 
items made out of pot-
tery are being shown 
by three of some 125 Michigan 
and Midwest artists offering 
their work at this year’s 45th 
Potters Market being held Dec. 
1-4 at the Southfield Pavilion 
along the Southfield Municipal 
Complex. 
The market, the largest event 
of its kind in the country, will 
be offering some 35,000 orig-
inal pieces for sale with offer-
ings by 55 new artists included. 
While Donna Pearlman of 
Huntington Woods and Ruth 
Weinbaum of Bloomfield Hills 
are experienced in appearing 
at the sale and have designed 
new items for this year’s show-
ing, Rachael Polakoff of West 
Bloomfield is a first-year artist 
presenting original projects. 
These three women agree 
that working on pottery offers 
them an opportunity to relax 
while preparing to showcase 
the talents they have developed 
through study and use. 
The return of the market 
after two years of COVID 

closure has no entrance or 
parking fees except for opening 
night and offers a section that 
benefits Leader Dogs for the 
Blind. At each event, usually 
annual, a different communi-
ty organization is chosen to 
benefit.
“I’m showing garden 
planters, birdhouses, platters, 
bowls and small dishes,
” said 
Pearlman, who crafts her work 
at the Michigan Art Center in 
Garden City and additionally 
makes acrylic paintings and 
collage projects. 
Pearlman had established 
a career as a special educa-
tion teacher before making 
her way into pottery — first 
taking classes at Oak Park 
High School and then mov-
ing into studies at Oakland 
Community College (OCC). 
“It gives me such a great 
sense of satisfaction to be cre-
ative,
” Pearlman said. “I devel-
oped a passion for pottery, and 
I find working on it is very 
relaxing. I like the sense of 
manipulating the clay. My early 
objects were for family.
”

THIS PAGE:
A selection of work 
by Donna Pearlman

The Potters Market is 
a great place to shop 
for holiday gifts.

45th annual showcase runs 
Dec. 1-4 in Southfi
 eld.

45th annual showcase runs 

Potters 
Market

SUZANNE CHESSLER 
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ARTS&LIFE
ART