Merging Rivers and Rising Creativity Community Pottery Studio Opens in Russell

Merging Rivers and Rising Creativity

Community Pottery Studio Opens in Russell

Gwen Akers

The Ashland Beacon

Greenup County, noted as a Work Ready Community and as the home of the beautiful Greenbo Lake, was established in 1803. It is a community of hills and valleys, a convergence of natural beauty and the industrial world, and it is also the site of the merging of two rivers: the Ohio and the Sandy.

Beyond the physical merging of these waters, it is also a community of merging people and merging minds. One new byproduct of this is the Merging Rivers Pottery Studio, located within The Edge Business Center. A collaboration between local businesses, artists, and the Greenup County Cooperative Extension Services of the University of Kentucky, the studio opens after years of excitement and expressed need from the community for a place to learn about the art of pottery making.

Anne Stephens, Greenup County agent for Community Arts, has been working with the Extension Office for 17 years, heading up some of the area’s favorite events, including the annual Handcrafted Weekend hosted by Greenbo State Resort Park and the Greenup County Farmers Market. Year before last, two new potters joined the scene at the Farmers Market: Tom Hudson and Sherry Hopper. Both experienced artists and educators, Hopper and Hudson captured the curiosity and hearts of attendees.

After several inquiries by community members wondering if Hudson or Hopper taught classes, and several signatures on an interest form collected by Hudson, Stephens and the Extension District Board knew it was time to explore how they could provide these artists—and the community—an outlet for their curiosity and creativity.

“We started talking about how we could make this happen through the extension arts program, and every time we talked about it, we would get excited about the possibilities, but then we just had some barriers that we couldn't quite get past,” explained Stephens, as opening a pottery studio requires both space and expensive equipment to operate.

All of this changed when Kristie Patterson, Chairperson of the Greenup County Extension District Board and owner of The Edge Business Center, saw an opportunity to allow the Business Center to become a home for the start-up pottery studio. After several months of planning, the studio is thrilled to be hosting an open house this coming Saturday, July 26, from 12–2 p.m.

The studio itself will be self-sufficient and is already stocked with 1,000 lbs. of clay, ready to go. It will begin by offering three different 6-week sessions, with the first session starting in August. Participants will have the option to select a standard membership for $200 per session or a gold membership for $250 per session, which will include exclusive perks such as early registration for later sessions, a tote to store their pieces, and—after the initial session—open studio time. The studio will also offer kilns and firing services, seven pottery wheels, and several types of glazes.

Sessions will be led by well-known and experienced potters Tom Hudson and Sherry Hopper. Hudson, originally from Charleston, West Virginia, and a graduate of Marshall University, reconnected with ceramics and pottery after retiring. He now owns and operates his own home studio, Pig Pen Pottery, and has worked with several community studios. With all his experience, Hudson appreciated being able to work with and be inspired by others in a community studio setting—so this project was perfect for him.

Soon after moving to the area, Hudson began traveling to different fairs and vendor events, selling his wares and connecting with other potters and artists. After meeting Anne Stephens—and, by chance, Kristie Patterson—Hudson knew he wanted to be a part of sharing his love of pottery with the community.

“It’s a camaraderie of different segments: we’ve got community involvement, we’ve got artist involvement, and we’ve got the involvement of the extension office,” commented Hudson. “We’re volunteering our time, and we just want to make sure that it becomes successful."

Fellow instructor Sherry Hopper also brings to the wheel a wealth of experience. Based in Flatwoods, Kentucky, and owner of Pondhawk Pottery, Hopper is a graduate of Morehead State University and a retired educator. Intertwining her love of the natural world with a desire for innovation, Hopper’s work serves to inspire—alongside Hudson’s—the next generation of artists and potters.

“As for me, I am very much privileged to have these specialists in our community willing to put in the work and the time and get this thing going,” commented Anne Stephens about her fellow dreamers in the creation of this project.

To find out more and register for a session, check out the Merging Rivers Pottery open house on Saturday, July 26, from 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m., and share your own story of art and inspiration in the area of the merging rivers.