Montgomery Potters is a clay club established in Montgomery County, Maryland. We are a diverse and inclusive group of clay enthusiasts with varying levels of experience and skill. Centered in the DMV, our members predominantly live in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, but we welcome ceramists beyond this regional focus. Our members explore all types of ceramic art and surface decoration techniques, from wheel thrown functional ware fired in a wood kiln to decorative sculptures fired in oxidation.
Initially established as The Clay Pigeons in 1952, the club renamed itself in 1967 as Montgomery Potters to reflect the broader community that had grown up around clay. Today, Montgomery Potters continues to bring clay artists together in the spirit of friendship and creativity, to share knowledge and ideas. Clay is the thread that ties our community together, and we support all processes and techniques for giving life to our chosen medium.
The following is a brief timeline of the founding of the Montgomery Potters.
1952 – The forerunner of the Montgomery Potters was the “Clay Pigeons”, founded by students in an adult education class at Kensington Junior High School. Their stated purpose was to exchange information and to increase community interest in the ceramic arts.
1954 – The group joined with eight area craft groups to form the “Creative Craft Council”. The first Clay Pigeons show was held at the Homewood Recreational Center.
1967 – The name of the group was changed to “Montgomery Potters”.
1970 – The first show and sale were held at the Garrett Park Town Hall.
1976 – The new constitution was adopted, and the first Spring Sale was held on New Hampshire Ave.
1984 – The Montgomery Potters’ library was begun and is currently housed at the Lynbrook Center where the monthly meetings are held.
1986 – The first judged, all member show was exhibited at Glen Echo.
2017 – Constitution and Bylaws were amended/updated and adopted.
2019 – The Club held its 50th Anniversary sale at Garrett Park.
2020-2021 – The Club moved to Zoom meetings for both programs and the business meeting, in response to Covid-19 restrictions and the Closing of the Lynbrook Center.
2021 – The Club held its first Touring Sale in place of a stationary sale, due to covid-19, with great success.