By Jeanne Sager
SULLIVAN COUNTY — April 29, 2005 – The folks who’ve put a harness on earth, air, water and fire to create their art are throwing open their doors to spring – and you.
The potters of Sullivan County have been throwing and paddling pots all winter to rebuild their inventories.
On May 21, the artists will be filling their kilns to the brim with fine works and setting them afire; inviting the public into their private studios to see what comes “fresh out of the oven.”
The first annual kiln tour is a celebration of the second year of the Sullivan County Pottery Trail Map and a way to draw people into the world of pots.
“We want people to get involved with the process, connect to the process, not just the pot,” explained Carolyn Duke, the artist behind Duke Pottery of Roscoe.
“You’ll really get to see the inner workings of a potter’s studio,” said Jill Wiener of Earth Girl Pottery in Callicoon Center.
“It all starts with one lump of clay, but once a potter gets their hand on a lump of clay, it can be anything,” Wiener explained. “All of the [potters on the map] are so different.
“Everyone does different kinds of work, works with different kinds of clay, has a different vision.”
The kiln tour will allow folks to take a self-guided trip across Sullivan County and jump over into Wayne County, Pa. to visit nine studios – beginning with Duke’s pinch pots in the fields of Roscoe and ending with Kim Lust’s high-fired stoneware just minutes from the Delaware River in Glen Spey.
Each potter has something different planned for the day – from raiku firings to glazing, throwing porcelain on a wheel or working on free-form handbuilt pieces.
“The potters should all be working – because basically if we’re home, we’re working,” Wiener said. “And the kilns should be opening and emptying.
“Every studio will have something for people to see,” she added. “It’s a good time to come and visit with us – we’ll have the welcome mat rolled out.”
In addition to asking questions and possibly purchasing pots, visitors can talk with individual potters about classes or custom orders.
For more information, call Wiener at 482-4976 or pick up a copy of the Sullivan County Pottery Trail Map, available at area stores and offices.
The kiln tour is set for Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the individual potters welcome calls to set up other appointments.
The potters are:
• Carolyn Duke, Duke Pottery, 855 County Route 93, Roscoe, 607-498-5207, www.dukepottery.com
• Jill Wiener, Earth Girl Pottery, 92 Bayer Road, Callicoon Center, 482-4976, www.earthgirlpottery.com
• Michelangelo and Raffaello Rubino, Rubino’s Art Village, 4838 State Route 52, Jeffersonville, 482-3573, www.mrrubino.com
• Ayla Maloney, Honey Hill Pottery and Associated Artisans, 119 Diehl Road, Callicoon, 482-5280, www.honeyhillpottery.com
• Cecily Fortescue, Cecily Fortescue Ceramics, 210 Hospital Road, Callicoon, 887-5740
• Barbara Brown, Sunshine Pottery, 109 Stony Road, Lake Huntington, 932-8873 or 800-941-2251, www.sunshinecottageandpottery.com
• Anne and Edward Nocera, Nocera Art Tile and Pottery Studio, HC1 Box 1374, Calkins Road, Milanville, Pa., www.art-tile.com
• Anthony Biancoviso, Hillside Studios, 111 Hillside Road, Barryville, 557-3640
• Kim Lust, Bluestone Pottery, 159 Rio Dam Road, Glen Spey, 856-7398.