The inaugural Nova Scotia Pottery Market will bring together over 25 potters and ceramicists from across Nova Scotia and the Maritimes for a full day of celebrating clay, handmade pottery, and the people who make it. Part of the 30th annual Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival, it will feature a wide range of functional and sculptural pottery, from mugs, bowls, and serving pieces to more decorative and one-of-a-kind work. Visitors who purchase a pottery mug at the market can also enjoy a complimentary coffee or tea in their new mug while they browse, thanks to local businesses Sunday Silence Coffee Co. and Spill The Tea.
The participating potters include a mix of both newer makers and established ceramic artists with decades of experience. Visitors can meet the potters, shop from them, learn about their processes, and watch live wheel demonstrations.
The idea for the Pottery Market came from wanting to create an event where clay could really be the focus, while also giving people a chance to meet the makers behind the work. There is already such a strong culture of art, making, and small businesses here, and the Scarecrow Festival brings thousands of people to town each fall. It felt like a natural fit to add a pottery market to that weekend and create something new for the community.
This is also my new town, and since moving here, I have fallen in love with the community, and I think it is the perfect place to host a craft event like this. I am a self-taught potter and the person behind Wave Ceramics, a small pottery business based in Mahone Bay. Moving to Mahone Bay and building a pottery business here has been a huge part of my life over the past few years, so organizing a pottery market here felt like a very natural next step.
The Nova Scotia Pottery Market will be held on Sunday, October 4th, from 10 am to 4 pm, at the Mahone Bay Centre Gymnasium, located at 45 School Street in Mahone Bay. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Submitted by: Morgan, nspotterymarket@gmail.com