12th Annual Face Jug Show!

It’s Finally Here, y’all! Welcome to the 12th Annual Face Jug Show! We’ve collected over 120 weird, wild, and wonderful vessels for your viewing pleasure! To make a purchase, simply call the gallery to arrange billing and shipping: 828-281-2134

Featuring new work from 12 of your favorite potters, including:

Tim Whitten • Ben J. North • Vicki Miller • Stacy Lambert • Joel Huntley • Wayne Hewell • Stephen Harrison • Michael Gates • Walter Fleming • Carl Block • Mike Ball • Steve Abee

All available face jugs will be displayed in the gallery from Friday April 12th – Wednesday May 1st. Whether you can visit the gallery in person or only visit online, please join us in celebrating this storied pottery tradition at American Folk!

 

TIM Whitten first sat down at a potter’s wheel in 2010. With the encouragement of fellow church member Marvin Bailey, Tim began with tableware and other functional items, but quickly turned his attention to face jugs. He resides in South Carolina with his family.

BEN J North began making pottery at a very young age and apprenticed with the great Apache potter Felipe Ortega. The pottery-rich culture of NC called out and inspired Ben to move here, build a wood-fired kiln and his artistic life. His pots are elegantly detailed, fully functional and retain the earthiness we love.

VICKI Miller began her infatuation with clay as a hobby, but it soon evolved into so much more after years of relentless self-taught devotion. She works every day in her studio in South Carolina producing face jugs, roosters, and folk figures as well as tableware and vases.

STACY Lambert studied the art of pottery under the guidance of Seagrove potter, Sid Luck. Like any smart apprentice, he learned the technical aspects of firing and glazing from the master, then began adding his own unique talents of painting and graphics to his original creations.

JOEL Huntley, a potter for 40+ years, hails from Wisconsin. As a student at Chicago’s Art Institute he was introduced to pottery and continued his studies at the Leach Studio Pottery in England. Joel’s face jugs are beautifully decorated and feature an uncommon emotion.

WAYNE Hewell, a fifth-generation potter & farmer in the mountains of Georgia, comes from a family well-know for their pottery for over a century. Wayne incorporates humor into his faces with pointy ears & cigars and is known for his swirl-ware, a process of combining two different clays into an amazing striped effect.

STEPHEN Harrison draws inspiration from the great potters BB Craig and Charlie Lisk of the Catawba Valley and creates functional stoneware rooted in the deep folk traditions of North Carolina and the surrounding areas. He fires in a wood-fired groundhog kiln and predominately uses homemade alkaline glazes.

MICHAEL Gates is a native North Carolina potter and a descendant of a German family synonymous with time-honored traditions: The Reinhardt Pottery. He is a sixth generation potter carrying on traditional techniques while adding his own inspired, world-traveled voice.

WALTER Fleming, a Presbyterian minister by day, has always been interested in rural tasks and early American craftsmanship. He developed invaluable relationships with well-known potters, such as BB Craig in the Catawba Valley, who inspired him to carry on the regional pottery traditions.

CARL Block fuses the bright joy of Mexican Folk Art with the traditions of Southern Face Jugs. A native Texan, Carl spent many happy hours vacationing in Mexico, which vividly revisits with every face jug he creates. Electric-fired earthenware, these jugs are food safe, but recommended to be used for serving, not for storage.

MIKE Ball lives in Western North Carolina having studied in the Catawba Valley & Japan. He digs his stoneware clay materials in Catawba & fires using a wood-fired kiln. Mike’s face jugs are wildly expressive, each one unique in its facial features mood.

STEVE Abee, a native of Burke County, NC, is one of the Catawba Valley’s most talented & popular potters. He earned his potter’s credentials by building his own groundhog wood-fired kiln and is carrying on traditional southern pottery traditions by creating face jugs, digging his own clay, and mixing his own glazes.

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Ben J. North

Selected Works

Click images to enlarge