“You can't throw a wad of clay in this town without hitting someone who has at least tried their hand at pottery,” claims Rob Sutherland, long-time Athens potter and owner of Good Dirt Clay Studio and Gallery.

A vessel by Barry Rhodes

The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation’s 10th annual “Perspectives: Georgia Pottery Invitational” exhibit exemplifies just that, as 50-plus of the state’s most talented and established potters load in their works for one of the largest sales of functional and decorative pottery in the Southeast.

“Perspectives” will kick off with an opening gala reception and preview sale on Friday, Aug. 31, 6–9 p.m. A $5 admission grants you first dibs on over 5,000 functional pots handmade by this year’s participating potters. The Georgia Mudcats will provide the musical backdrop, playing an assortment of Appalachian string-band tunes, gospel, traditional Southern songs and flatland country blues.

Pottery by Mark Knott

If you find 5,000 pots a shade overwhelming, two separate, more condensed, exhibitions will also be on display. The Main Gallery will present a crème de la crème sample of “Perspectives,” featuring two of the best works created by each of the 50 potters, as well as a favorite piece selected from each of their private collections. In the Members Gallery, “Connected with Wood and Clay” will share room vignettes from a contemporary home showcasing heirloom furniture and utilitarian clay works created by regional woodworkers and potters.

Considering the palette of earth tones and floral imagery commonly seen in pottery, it’s obvious that many of its makers draw their biggest influences from the natural world. Just as many artists, however, take interest in applying much more abstract concepts to their works, as Barry Rhodes describes:

“Because I have a background in both physics and pottery, I find that I am constantly playing one off the other. I tend to collect visual snippets from visits to museums and from pottery, especially ancient and primitive, but also from odd places like partially finished buildings, old country shacks, the architecture of Louis Kahn, physics diagrams and pretty much anything that strikes my interest. I also see an influence of music in my work, especially compositions of Philip Glass or Henryk Górecki, or the quiet repetitions of meditative chanting. I strive to create a fusion between ancient and modern iconographies that reflects my belief that science and art are as Robert Shaw, the great choral conductor, once said about local orchestras making music, ‘…part of the business of being human.’”

Pottery by Tim Sullivan

For other potters, influence may come from his or her own personal life. Barry Gregg, for example, was immensely inspired by his dog, Parker, a cancer survivor. He elaborates, “Parker passed away about a year ago, and she continues to inspire me. During my grieving process, it was very difficult to work and create dogs in her image. I began making penguins to deal with my pain. Not really sure why, but it did help. My art became very therapeutic for me. In retrospect, I realized the change came about organically due to the fact: What is funnier and happier than a penguin?”

To see potters in their natural habitat, consider venturing out on the free self-guided studio tours on Sunday, Sept. 16 from 1–5 p.m. This year’s participating hosts, Maria Dondero of Marmalade Pottery (775 Pulaski St.), Jennifer Graff (396 Boulevard) and Yukiko and Bob Marable of Yukiko Pottery (1340 Peacock Dr., High Shoals), are inviting the public to take a look through their workshops and will be around to answer any questions about their spaces.

A platter by Triny Cline

Every Saturday afternoon from 1–4 p.m. in the Rocket Hall Courtyard, experienced potters will hold demonstrations on wheel throwing and hand-building techniques. This year’s lineup includes Rick Berman on Sept. 1, Gwen Fryar on Sept. 8 and David Morgan on Sept. 15.

For novice potters hoping to hone their own skills, Liz Lurie will lead “Spouts, Handles & Other Appendages,” on Saturday, Sept. 1 and Sunday, Sept. 2 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. each day. Lurie will share a variety of techniques addressing the challenges of creating these tricky arms and exploring how they can help define a piece of pottery. The two-day workshop costs $135, and space can be reserved by calling OCAF at 706-769-4565.

Pottery by Gwen Fryar

Instructor Elaine Jo will present another workshop, “The Art of Ikebana Flower Arranging,” on the following Saturday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Ikebana, the traditional Japanese approach to flower arrangement, is a disciplined art form that, over the centuries, has evolved from the Buddhist ritual of offering flowers on altars to the spirits of the dead to a widespread, multi-purpose custom emphasizing minimalism, shape and natural beauty. Several members of the School of Ikebana Atlanta Chapter will exhibit floral arrangements in the Hall Galley on Saturday, Sept. 8 and Sunday, Sept. 9 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. in conjunction with the workshop. Registration is $25, and space is limited, so call to reserve a spot.

In an increasingly homogenized consumer world where impersonal, mass-produced pots, plates, bowls and mugs can be purchased robotically in any home goods store, there’s something very special about investing in handmade pottery. Many potters will agree that one of the primary reasons they stay loyal to their craft is the ability to design pieces that go beyond their basic purpose in terms of visual aesthetics and imagination.

Pottery by Kelly King

Tim Sullivan of Creekside Pottery explains, “It was important to me that my work not be overly influenced by the monetary side of the business. There are simply easier ways to make money, and I wanted, and still do, to make each piece special in some way.  I am not now, and never intend to be, a production potter. I make pots because I like the challenge of making simple things that aspire to more than their function.”

Gwen Fryar says, “It's difficult to describe what motivates me to create pottery; I just have to. The delight in knowing that a bowl or mug or birdhouse that I made will enhance someone's life is very satisfying. Pottery lives on long after the act of making it. The true life of a piece of pottery really begins once it finds its owner and starts doing its job.”

“Perspectives” will be on display Sept. 1–19, 10 a.m.–5 pm., in Rocket Hall of OCAF, located nine miles outside of Athens at 34 School St. in Watkinsville. For more information, visit www.ocaf.com.