Local Tallahassee pottery maker, Jasmine Summer, describes her experience as a potter by saying, “I put the fun in functional.” As a maker of cups, mugs, bowls, planters, and plates, she says of her merchandise, “I tend to make functional items.”
Summer, a member of a local group of pottery artists, describes her pottery as “colorful; and (sometimes) with bad words.” Her wares, as well as about 30 other pottery makers’ items, will be available for purchase at the semi-annual Tallahassee Pottery Market spring event from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at United Church in Tallahassee, 1834 Mahan Drive. The event is free and open to the public to attend.
A wheel for pottery and their makers
The group of pottery makers who host this event organizes two markets each year – one in the spring and another in winter (on the first Saturday in December). This spring event is the fourth year the all-volunteer group has coordinated these markets; the third year, the events have been held at the local church. Summer and potter Jocelyn Reidl help organize the pottery markets and are members of the group’s volunteer executive committee.
According to Reidl, many group members started by attending sessions at the Tallahassee Clay Art Studio on Mahan Drive. The first pottery market began four years ago, in 2022, and was held at that facility. There were about 10 vendors at that first market, she said, but for the next one, a new location was needed because there were many more vendors. That is when the market moved to United Church in Tallahassee…