Mint Museum Pottery Invitational Invites First S.C. Artist, a Winthrop Professor
September 9, 2015
ROCK HILL, SC – Winthrop University Professor of Fine Arts Jim Connell feels honored to be “an outsider.”
The first artist “outside” of North Carolina to be invited to participate in the annual Mint Museum Potters Market Invitational in Charlotte, that is.
A major attraction for the Charlotte area, the Mint Museum will welcome more than 1,000 people at this year’s invitational, set for Sept. 12 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Randolph location. The event will feature the work of Connell and 50 North Carolina potters as well as pottery demonstrations, food, live music and more. Tickets are $10 and include museum admission. Kids 12 and younger are free.
Though the invitational has featured only North Carolina potters for the last decade, organizers decided to expand and invite Connell to participate.
“It is indeed an honor to be picked,” he said. “I go to the invitational most every year and many of the participants are friends and colleagues I have known for years. It’s always fun to see what they are up to and of course to reconnect.
“We potters are a close and supporting group of people. I never thought I would be invited as this was started to just feature N.C. potters. This year they’ll get to see my work. It’s all about respect.”
Connell has worked in the ceramics medium for more than 30 years. His work has appeared in more than 500 exhibitions, with 15 of his pieces later acquisitioned for museums. In 2004, he traveled to China to study ceramics on an International Residence Award through the National Council on the Education for the Ceramic Arts.
He joined Winthrop’s faculty in 1987.
Presented by the Delhom Service League, a ceramics affiliate of The Mint Museum, the invitational helps fulfill the Delhom’s mission “to promote ceramic arts and education.” It’s raised more than $200,000 since it began in 2004.
To purchase tickets online and for more information, visit the Mint Museum website.
