The 18th annual Cambridge Pottery Festival and U.S. Pottery Games has finished up another perfect year. The weather was beautiful as 41 professional potters from 10 states set up their white booths in Lake Ripley Park.
Armed with new tents this year, and guaranteed not to rip - tear - sink in the mud - or blow down, our Information booth held all weekend! Filled with t-shirts, mugs and live and silent auction pots, our booth survived! We would like to thank Doug from Cowboy Kettle Korn who diligently found us tents and supplied us with corn all weekend. THANK YOU DOUG!
At the games stage, the challenge was set as Jim Rienert brought his own cheer squad complete with large sign in hand, "Go Jim GO!" on one side and "Throw Jim Throw!" on the other. Cheers and groans were heard throughout the day as pots rose and fell on the games stage. Rising through the challenge, the top three in the Light Weight division were, Val Neumann, Michael Sherman, and Tom Hubell. In the Heavy Weight division, George Lowe, Tony Winchester and Jim Reinert rose victorious. For their endeavors, each of the top three will receive free jury into next years festival.
GOING GREEN was the theme on Sunday as the top three in each weight division sparred off in the Grand Champion Throw. Each contestant had to make 3 items to match the theme, in 3 different weights. Val Neumann rose victorious in the Grand Champion Throw, becoming winner in the U.S. Pottery Games with her cleaver bird houses. Val will receive free a free booth in next years festival. Congrats Val and all who participated!
At the "Hands On" Learning center, our three wheels were busy all weekend, showing young and old alike how to throw on the pottery wheel. At Adventures in Slip casting, little painters were busy, painting a slip cast item that they could take home, and at the sculpting table, clay art was created.
YEE HAW! Kept the crowd lively, especially during the High School and College competition on Sunday as the kids echoed the Cowboy Kettle Korn. We had a wealth of kids participating in the college games this year! Congratulations goes to Mike Stumbras of St. Olaf College in the College Games. Mike will receive a $250.00 scholarship. In the High School division, Logan Jensen won the games. Logan received a $250.00 scholarship and Shimpo America donated a Shimpo wheel to his school. Also receiving a $250.00 scholarship, donated by Skutt Kilns, Liz Walsh received a scholarship for placing Top First in the High School games. Shimpo America also donated a bag of pottery tools to the runner up in both the College and High School games. Congratulations to all who entered the games.
New to the festival this year was the Don Fuchs Butter Dish Competition. After loosing one of our devoted clay artists this year to cancer, Peggy and I decided to honor Don by holding an annual butter dish competition in his name. Don was a delightful presence at our festival for many years, and last year he gave Peggy and I a butter dish. This all started the idea for the competition.
All pottery participants in the Cambridge Pottery Festival could enter this fun competition. There were 2 categories, Whimsy, or Contemporary, and 1 simple rule. The dish must hold at least 1 stick of butter. The crowd was the judge and the winners were awarded. Irene Olson of Deerfield, WI won in the Whimsy category with the jolly ice cream couple, and Eugenia Meltzer from Winnetka, IL won the Contemporary with her beautiful inlay butter dish.
The Cambridge Pottery Festival staff would like to welcome all participants to this years festival, and many friends were made. Steven Hill and his crew from Sandwich, IL, Betsy Price & Tom Wirt from Hutchinson, MN, Joe Frank McKee & Travis Berning from Dillsboro, NC, Chris Lemmon, Dubuque, IA, Matt Van Sustren from Mount Horeb, WI, and Don Fethkenher from Belmont, AZ. Thank you for attending we hope you enjoyed your visit and we look forward to seeing you again!
We would like to thank everyone who donated items for the potters gift bags, took out ads, or just plain volunteered a hour or two of time to teach at the wheel or wash paint brushes. And a special thank you to all of our lime green T-shirt volunteers! A fabulous job was done by all!
Next years festival will be held June 12 - 13, 2010. Plan your reservations now for a fun weekend of Clay, Art, and Pottery Games. We hope to see you there!!!
The Cambridge Pottery Festival is strictly a Not-for-profit organization run by two sisters, Wendy Brabender and Peggy Klingbeil and a hand full of dedicated family and friends.
If you would like to apply to the Cambridge Pottery Festival and U.S. Pottery Games, Please print out the applications below and send them in.
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