The Maine Pottery Tour: Putting Maine’s clay crafters and their creations on the map

The Maine Pottery Tour will return for its 11th year May 6 and 7 with 65 studios and 21 guest artists from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Phillips to Machias opening their doors to the public.

The tour will be split into six regions: central, southern, western, Down East, midcoast and Portland. The central Maine tour features 18 studios; southern tour, 10; western and Down East tours, seven each; midcoast, 17; and Portland, six.

Fine Mess Pottery artist Lori Watts of Augusta is leading the charge for the tour and recently said that after the 2020 cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was the most successful season, 2022 maintained that success, and that studios participating in the tour this year are hoping to continue that run with new and returning visitors.

Watts said the two most important things for people to know about the tour and their local artists is that it’s not just about shopping when it comes to Maine’s many potters.

Working on a piece at Fine Mess Pottery in Augusta. Submitted photo

“Studios have kiln openings and demonstrations planned, raffles and chances to make or decorate clay pieces,” said Watts. “There’s probably a studio near you.”

Featured among the many artists are some world-class potters including Bog Pond Pottery’s Rob Sieminski in Phillips, who worked at the Smithsonian, Maureen Mills of Mills & Zoldak Potters in Portsmouth, N.H., and Martha Grover of The Pottery Studio in Bethel.

Grover and her husband, Joshua Rysted, have been throwing clay at the wheel for over 20 years and participated in the tour since 2017. They maintain a studio for personal projects and for pottery classes. Rysted is a Maine transplant from Montana and produces small batches, both wheel-thrown and slab-built, of functional pieces.

Also focused on functional pieces (such as bowls, cups, plates, etc.), Grover creates thrown and altered porcelain pieces. She has had several residencies and fellowships at well-respected foundations. She has been featured in publications including Ceramics Monthly (she was on the cover of the May 2010 issue), Clay Times, Pottery Making Illustrated and the Lark 500 Series. Grover’s art has been on display in many national and international galleries.

“We love the opportunity to open our studio to the community as well as being part of a large, amazing group of Maine potters,” Grover said. “We often lament that the only downside of being a stop on the tour is that you aren’t able to go on the tour yourself to see all of the other incredible studios across the state.”

Grover said that with every tour, her studio in Bethel has welcomed locals and visitors from across the state, looking to buy pieces and to see what they do.

The Maine Pottery Tour is partly funded by the Maine Arts Commission which is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information on the tour and for online and downloadable maps, visit mainepotterytour.org.