Door County Potters’ Guild Tour Scheduled

Tony Gebauer monitors the wood kiln.

The Second Annual Door County Potters’ Guild self-guided tour on May 1 and 2 will focus on the new works and freshest offerings from members of the guild, which will open their doors from 10 am – 5 pm.

Established in 1976, the Door County Potters’ Guild encourages support and camaraderie between its members and is dedicated to the creation of high quality ceramics for sale in working studios and galleries. The community of professional, resident craftspeople making functional and decorative work in clay includes:

• Ellison Bay Pottery, 12156 Garrett Bay Rd. (across from The Clearing), Ellison Bay – John Dietrich, a co-founder of the guild, and Diane McNeil make both functional stoneware with gem-like glazes and pit-fired pottery.

• Gills Rock Stoneware, 12020 Lakeview Rd. (corner of Highway 42 and Lakeview), Ellison Bay – Thor and Judy Thoreson create a wide variety of functional, brilliant pottery.

• Clay Bay Pottery, 11650 Highway 42 (1 mile south of downtown), Ellison Bay – David and Jeanne Aurelius’ newest “Lady Vase” series and other hand-painted functional pottery.

• Ephraim Clayworks, 9922 Water St. (1/4 mile south of Wilson’s in the Shorewood Village Shops), Ephraim – Brian and Tracey Fitzgerald offer both Raku and stoneware pottery.

• The Potters Wheel, 3915 Highway 42 (on Gibraltar Road across from Gibraltar School), Fish Creek – Master Potter Abe Cohn and his wife Ginka, co-founders of the guild, are celebrating their 55th year at this location which is their studio, gallery and home. The Potters Wheel is opening for the season on May 29, noon – 5 pm, except Thursday.

• TR Pottery, 4133 Main Street (next to the Cookery), Fish Creek – Tony and Reneé Gebauer, who also make functional stoneware pottery, are celebrating their 10th anniversary with their ninth spring wood firing

Sgraffito pitcher by Renee` Schwaller.

• Off the Wheel Pottery, 4234 County Rd. E, Egg Harbor – Renee’ Schwaller, the guild’s president, specializes in sgraffito (carving) white stoneware pottery.

• Plum Bottom Pottery, 4999 Plum Bottom Rd., Egg Harbor – Chad Luberger works in high fire porcelain creating both functional and sculptural pottery.

Maps are available at each gallery or online at http://www.doorcountypottery.com. For more information call 920.854.5049 or visit www. doorcountypottery.com.