MERRIMAC – Purple Sage Pottery will hold its annual Spring Open House and Sale on Saturday, May 3rd from 10am–5pm at 3 Mechanic Street, Merrimac, MA. Thirteen local potters will be selling their unique wares. The Studio is showcasing three new artists, Dana Anzalone, Jonathan Boles and Jenny Nelson at the spring sale.
Dana Anzalone, a multifaceted artist, is a painter and illustrator, budding novelist as well as a potter. She was first seduced by clay in 2016, simply by looking inside the ceramics department while taking a painting class at the Irvine Fine Arts Center. She is largely self-taught but is grateful to the many talented potters who have mentored her over the years. Her clay creations include functional wheel thrown pieces, intricately carved vases, plaques and miniatures. These will be available for sale at the open house.
Jonathan Boles first came to Purple Sage Pottery about 20 years ago in his late teens, proposing a trade of helping in the studio in exchange for pottery lessons. Iris Minc, the owner of the studio, was skeptical at first, but Jonathan persisted and eventually proved to be a worthy helper and good pottery student. He graduated from Mass Art in 2014 in art education with a minor in sculpture. Despite his commitment to teaching, Jonathan has continued his interest in 3-D design, from blacksmithing, corrugated cardboard sculpture, and clay sculpture as well as illustration. He has been working on a series of insect inspired jewelry as well as a large tiger’s head in clay for the spring sale.
Jenny Nelson spent part of her childhood in Scandinavia, in a home where beautiful pottery was treasured and having cousins who were potters; all of which colluded in fostering a love of pottery in Jenny. She took her first pottery class with Iris around thirteen years ago. After a few years of classes, Jenny then set up her own studio, named “Rosin and Glaze”, where she learned the pottery making process from the ground up. After a short hiatus from pottery, Jenny has come back to Purple Sage Pottery as a studio member, to be in a pottery community where she can learn from the other potters in the studio. She intuitively approaches each piece with inspiration from nature and Scandinavian design.
Joining Dana, Jonathan and Jenny at the spring Studio Sale on Saturday, May 3rd will be studio owner Iris Minc, Lisa Mistretta, Lucy Hutchinson, Hiromi Satoh, Karen Girard, Judy Nevius, Liz Kinder, Kathy Clark, Emily Samataro, and Peter Grams who will be demonstrating throwing pots on the potter’s wheel. For more information about Purple Sage Pottery and the spring show, go to the web site at: www.purplesagepottery.com , call 978-346-9978.
