Fired Up: A Juried Show of the Cape Cod Potters, Inc.

Highfield Hall & Gardens presents Fired Up: A Juried Show of the Cape Cod Potters, Inc. July 23 through October 31, 2024.

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 2 PM.

Thirty-four artists present work that will be juried by the director of the Ceramics Program at the Office for the Arts at Harvard, Kathy King. This exhibit highlights and celebrates the diversity of ceramic work being created on this small, sandy spit of land. Cape Cod’s unique geography can inspire and constrict, can push artists to explore their local influences, and can lead them to reach beyond their geographic boundaries. Each of the many potters living and working on Cape Cod bring their own unique voice to the medium of clay. This show aims to highlight the best of that energy. 

Ms. King said “Being invited to jury the Cape Cod Potter’s Group “Fired Up” exhibition was an honor, and seeing the work exhibited at Highfield Hall & Gardens was an exciting prospect. Once I began the process, I was quickly struck with how immersive and challenging this experience would be. Because of the many exceptional works, I looked for works with a strong concept, a clear sense of materiality, and the technical and structural needs of working with our chosen medium – ceramics.”

Cape Cod Potters, Inc. artists whose work will be exhibited include: Corine Adams, Craig Brodt, Heather Cauldwell, Sarah Caruso, Claire Clark, Carol Chittenden, Margot Critchfield, Kim DeWall, Laura Dimeo, Darcie Enea, Hollis Engley, Shelley Fenily, Sally Fine, Paul Fitzgerald, Shannon Gallagher, Bonnie Garaventi, Laurie Goldman, Lois Hirshberg, Diane Heart, Frances Johnson, Brenda Kerr, Mark Koenig, Leslie Lichtenstein, Suzanne Lyons, Julie Mansfield, Michael Merritt, Val Murray, Teri Navickas, Susan Nowogrodzki, Lorraine Piver, Johanna Reed, Kim Sheerin, Muriel Tice, Deborah Vidavar-Cohen, Sarah Waaramaa Hawkes, Sue Wadoski, Debbie Winnick, and Joan Zagrobelny.

Cape Cod Potters Inc was organized over 50 years ago, as a non-profit, volunteer-led organization supported by membership dues, events, donations, grants. The group supports area ceramic artists by sharing knowledge, experience, business promotion and exhibition opportunities for all levels – professionals, amateurs, and students.

In addition to working at Harvard, Kathy King is an active studio artist in the Boston area. Kathy’s own work centers on the presentation of narrative through ceramic vessels, tile work and printmaking, either separately or combined in installation, with a feminist point of view. She is interested in mapping the ways popular culture not only reflects women’s lives, but also shapes them. The use of satirical humor, irony and sarcasm often provides a seductive vehicle to approach issues of gender and sexuality within her work. The combination of narrative presented on the surface, united with the intended utility of each vessel, allows a dialogue between the essence of the object and its narrative. Individually, each work’s narrative may convey a singular thought, but when the work is considered together in a serial format, the story unfolds.