It’s summertime, and the living is easy at Tigg’s Pond, the venue for Solstice Arts, an event featuring the work of David Voorhees and over a dozen other artists.
Over the weekend of June 20-21, potter David Voorhees and jewelry designer Molly Sharp, along with Rev. Posy Jackson, will host a two-day indoor fine-craft event at Tigg’s Pond Retreat Center. Outside, the venue boasts 54 wooded acres and landscaped grounds just off Exit 3 of US 25, in Zirconia (Henderson County).
“Solstice Arts” is free and public, and will feature more than a dozen invited artists selling work in pretty much every media: stained glass, paintings, metalwork, book arts, weaving, woodworking, jewelry, and photography. Bold Life caught up with Voorhees to get the lay of the land.
Bold Life: What inspired this event, originally?
David Voorhees: About six years ago, my wife [Molly Sharp] and I started a springtime event at our home studios. Each year we would invite a few more guest artists, and we outgrew our place. So we approached our friend Posy Jackson, who had recently opened Tigg’s Pond Retreat Center just down the road. It’s easy access and has plenty of parking in an amazingly beautiful, peaceful setting.
But how is it different from other art shows, in your mind?
We designed it as a garden-style event. The artists are friends of ours and all do exceptional work. Most visitors spend a couple of hours viewing all of the artwork, talking to the artists, enjoying the food and music, and walking the grounds.
And there will be lunch?
Yes, a Japanese-style lunch [for sale], prepared by our friend Shoko Steslicke. We met her when I started building my wood-fired kiln. Shoko would show up with baskets and pots full of wonderful food to feed everyone.
People think of pottery as a tame activity, but isn’t it potentially hazardous?
Soft clay is very forgiving, but 2300-degrees F[ahrenheit], which is our top temperature in the wood-fired kiln, commands respect: long leather gloves, close-toed shoes, and welding goggles to peer into the kiln at that temperature. But my chainsaw and axe are likely the more dangerous things I encounter, since I have to cut, split, and stack almost two cords of wood per firing
Solstice Arts at Tigg’s Pond Retreat Center happens June 20 (9am–5pm) and June 21 (12–5pm). 212 Fiddlehead Lane, Zirconia. Davidvoorheespottery.com, 828-698-8775
