The Mithigan Daily-Wednesday, July 21, 1982-Page 11
Potter's Guild: Art fair tradition
Ceramists
part of
South U.
fair for
23 years
By BILL SPINDLE
Although a number of ceramists will
be displaying their work this week in
the three art fairs, members of the Pot-
ter's Guild have the distinction of
showing with one of the oldest par-
ticipants in Ann Arbor's art ex-
travaganza.
"We're quite unique in the country,"
guild member Shirley Knudsvig said of
the cooperative pottery studio located
on Hill Street. "We are about 35 years in
operation and Id venture to say that
we're one of the oldest guilds in the
nation," she said.
THE COOPERATIVE aspects of the
guild, which is jointly owned by its 40
lifelong members, are the key to its
success, according to Knudsvig.
,F4
Daily Photo by DOUG McMAI
Hundreds of pots, vases, and urns are stored on the shelves of the Potter's Guild on Hill Street. Some of these, and many
like them, will be on sale in the Potter's Guild booth at the corner of South University and East University.
"You learn from working with
professionals," she said. "You just
have all the sharing of knowledge. I
think people find the environment sup-
portive."
In addition to the exchange of ideas
and techniques which theguild
promotes, its cooperative tradition
helps keep costs down for the artists,
guild member Sue Stoll said.
THE GUILD, she said, "means we
can all share the cost of a studio which
we cannot afford ourselves."
Twenty-two of the guild's members
will be selling their pottery at the Ann
Arbor Street Art Fair when the guild
opens its booth on the corner of South
University and East University for the
23rd consecutive year.
"We have been at that location ever
since it (the art fair) began," Knudsvig
said, "so we really feel like we are a
part of the street fair."
THIS YEAR, according to Knudsvig,
guild members will be selling a wide
range of items including urns, jugs,
jars, and vases.
"Everytfiing from raku (a special
method of preparing the pottery), to
sculptural, to functional pottery, por-
celain stoneware, and oven ware," she
said.
Knudsvig added that the price range
for pottery is just as wide as the selec-
tion. Prices can run, she said,
"anywhere from a dollar up to $500."
THE STREET fair sale is the most
profitable of the three sales the guild
holds each year, according to Stoll.
"It's the best and it has become in-
creasingly better over the years," she
added.
The guild chooses its members each
year by a selection process using slides
and examples of the artists' work.
Knudsvig explained, however, that
because the guild is limited to 40
lifelong members, acceptance to the
guild is fairly competitive.
The Ann Arbor group was one of the
first potters' guilds in the state and ac-
cording to Stoll, guild members have
founded new groups throughout the
state and the country.
One member founded a guild in Lan-
sing, Stoll said, while other more am-
bitious members, she added, have
established guilds as far away as
Hawaii.
Dail
Classifieds
Bring
Res ulITs
A member of the Potter's Guild, a cooperative artists' studio, prepares for
this year's fair.
Not
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