K-State artisans have put their hard work on sale to raise money and awareness of handmade crafts. The KSU Potter’s Guild is holding a pottery sale which started Wednesday and continues through Friday in Bosco Student Plaza from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dylan Beck, assistant professor of art and faculty adviser for the Potter’s Guild, said there were several new items at this year’s sale, including a large collection of jewelry. In addition to the usual handmade pots, plates and cups made of clay, browsers can also find handmade earrings, pendant necklaces and cameo pins. Beck said all of the functional pottery at the sale is safe to use for food and drink, as well as microwave and dishwasher safe.
“We feel that there’s an intrinsic value to handmade objects,” Beck said.
Beck said the Potter’s Guild is made up of students ranging from freshmen to third-year graduate students, and even professors. Anyone can join the Guild and everyone in the Guild can participate in the sale. Another new feature of this year’s sale is the addition of photos and biographies of each of the artists, and each artist has a section of a table dedicated to their pottery.
“This year we decided to make it a little more personal, so the people buying the pottery can build a relationship with the artist,” Beck said.
The pottery sale serves a purpose beyond raising awareness and celebrating K-State’s artisans: it also raises funds to bring guest artists to K-State. The next featured artist coming to K-State is Ted Neal, associate professor of ceramics from Ball State University. Neal specializes in wood-fired ceramics and will assist in building a wood-fire kiln for K-State students to use.
Fundraising from the pottery sale also helps send student artists on yearly trips to the conference for the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, which has been holding yearly conferences to promote ceramic arts since 1966. The next conference will be in Houston in late March 2013.
Beck said the Potter’s Guild has been a part of the K-State community for at least 25 years, but he wasn’t entirely sure when they began holding pottery sales. According to Pat Patton, research specialist for K-State Libraries’ University Archives and Special Collections, there are Collegian photographs of the Potter’s Guild displaying mugs for sale in November of 1979, meaning the organization has been in existence for at least 33 years.
