Honey Hill Pottery Show

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Her pottery has earned accolades and awards, graced the pages of Yankee magazine, been represented by fine galleries and selected for the Slater Memorial Museum’s permanent collection. One of her clay pots even survived a trek to the top of Mount Everest. Now, Granby artist Avis Akers Cherichetti is embracing a new challenge: Her first one-person show, “Clay on the Wall,” runs July 24 through August 15 at Lost Acres Vineyard in North Granby.

Not only has this exhibition required Cherichetti to produce nearly 100 innovative new clay works, which will be on display and available for purchase Friday through Sunday, it’s required her to think in new dimensions: creating both decorative and functional ceramic pieces designed to be hung on walls and cherished every day.

“This show demands my creations come out of cupboards, off their pedestals and onto the walls,” says Cherichetti, who has honed her skills for more than 35 years. Mirrors, clocks, decorative plates: all are original, singular pieces that reflect her continual experimentation and desire to expand the boundaries of her chosen medium. “As I work on pieces for this show, I get more and more excited about the possibilities inherent in clay,” she shares. Her current work expresses repetitive motifs—which may be printed, carved or executed in glazes—on pieces of varying colors finished using an array of firing techniques.

At a public opening at the vineyard from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, July 24, Cherichetti will unveil the show and answer visitors’ questions about her inspirations and methods. Her husband, Lou Cherichetti, will also be on hand to discuss the rugs he’s designed and handwoven: Several will accent the pottery installation. The 100 percent wool rugs exhibited are Dobbel Krokbragd, a Swedish weaving structure which adds thickness and softness. A book on this technique, challengingly written in Swedish, inspired him to explore the versatility of this weaving system.

Lost Acres Vineyard is located at 80 Lost Acres Road in North Granby. The show may be experienced during the vineyard’s regular business hours: Fridays and Saturdays from noon until 6 p.m. and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m. For more information, call 860-841-8675.

About Avis Akers Cherichetti

Avis Akers Cherichetti is an experienced and prolific potter who works from her home studio, Honey Hill Pottery, which is open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 31 Barndoor Hills Road in Granby. She has been an active potter for more than 35 years, and her work, which is displayed and enjoyed in homes and collections around the world, evolves continuously as she explores new ceramic techniques. She produces hundreds of functional and decorative stoneware pieces each year, ranging from individual creations, such as bowls, lamps and teapots, to entire wedding registries. She makes pots that are meant to be used and pots that are nonfunctional. She makes pots for birds and flowers and pots for people and pets. Cherichetti’s multifaceted work employs alternative firing methods including raku and saggar, and her pieces are all designed to balance durability and utility with beauty. Learn more at: www.honeyhillpottery.us.