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Show Uinta Potters Guild prepares for 'Santa's workshop' The Uinta Potters Guild has received tremendous response from local artists and craftsmen concerning the up and coming Christmas Crafts Fair entitled, "Santa's Workshop." Dec. 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. has been set for the fair date at the National Guard Armory. As well as local craftsmen, there will be craftsmen and artists participating in "Santa's Workshop" from Manila, Jensen, Lapoint, and Dinosaur, Colo. The wide variety of handmade items will include: paintings, sculpture, pottery, knives, jewelry, hand painted eggs, dolls, wood projects, dried flower arrangements, gingerbread houses, Chrismas decorated cakes and cookies, baby things, leather goods, quilts, "rub out" oils, feather arrangements, tole painting, macrame, afghans, tree ornaments and wreath and wheat weaving. The Uinta Potters Guild is anticipating an-ticipating a large turn out of craft oriented persons to support their first annual crafts fair and are in hopes that the concluding results of this Dec. 13 event will stimulate interest and support the local art. Pat Brown has been doing pottery work for ten years. Although she has been at the potter's wheel for this amount of time it took her 7 years to become a production potter. Pat was born and raised in Gillette, Wyo. She and her husband Bruce came to Vernal 13 years ago. Ironically, it was her husband, who through a USU course, exposed Pat to the uniqueness of working with clay. Pat thought the pottery course her husband was taking was interesting so she enrolled with USU. Pottery thus began for her as a hobby. In 1977 Bruce and Pat built their present business, Valhalla Pottery. Pat gives all the credit to USU and the Uinta Potters Guild for her professional vocation. "It was a hobby that got out of control," con-trol," Pat explained. "I feel as if I owe everything I know to Utah State University who brought the professors here to teach and also through the now disbanded Uinta Potters Guild Workshop. Through these two organizations I was able to have the opportunity through summer workshops to work with the best teachers and best potters from all over the United States an opportunity I feel very few schools offer and it was all here in the Uintah Basin. I am very grateful for their sincere efforts to teach those persons who enrolled in the courses." Pat is presently preparing her Christmas order list as well as her display for the coming UPG crafts fair, Saturday, Dec. 13. Pat, in her 3 years as a production potter has built a reputation for her work in neighboring states. Last month, Pat sent finished orders out to seven states. Her crafts are of original designs and hand crafted. Bruce, whose profession is oilfield work, enjoys working with large amounts of clay, where Pat enjoys working with 15 pounds or less. The Uinta Potters Guild meets as a club on the fourth Thursday of each month in the Uintah County Library. |