Piedmont Pottery Festival
to
Historic Brattonsville 1444 Brattonsville Road, McConnells, South Carolina 29726
Shop for unique selections of traditional wheel-thrown and hand-built, functional and decorative works in clay created by some of the best potters in the Carolinas. The 11th annual Piedmont Pottery Festival is a one-day event at Historic Brattonsville that tells the story of the South’s rich pottery heritage in multifaceted ways. In addition to showcasing over 20 potters from both North and South Carolina, including contemporary Catawba Indian potters, the Piedmont Pottery Festival will explore how pottery moved civilization from creekside to the table. The Historical Cooking Guild of the Catawba Valley will be in the plantation’s McConnell House throughout the day, demonstrating 18th-century cooking with pottery on an open hearth and presenting historic methods of food preservation using clay crocks.
Historic Brattonsville’s Orientation Room will feature two artful presentations during the Piedmont Pottery Festival. At 11 a.m., Dr. Stephen Criswell, noted scholar on the regional history of pottery and director of Native American studies at USC Lancaster, will speak on contemporary Catawba Indian pottery. At 1 p.m., Buddy Wingard will present his award-winning documentary film about the outstanding work and life of a slave potter from Edgefield -- “Discovering Dave: Spirit Captured in Clay.”