Artspace 304 announces a new exhibition, Potters of the Trail, opening Friday, May 3. The
exhibition, on view until June 21 st , showcases the work of the potters who open their studios to
the public during the Shawnee Hills Pottery Trail. Potters of the Trail celebrates the pottery and
crafts traditions that are strong in Southern Illinois. Participating artists are Harris Deller,
Stephanie Dukat, Karen Fiorino, Stephen Grimmer, Dan Johnson, Rob Lorenz, Darby Ortolano,
and Kari Woolsey.
Join us Friday, May 3rd from 5-7 pm for the opening reception. The reception on Friday, May
3rd is from 5-7pm, kicking off the weekend of the 9th Annual Shawnee Hills Pottery Trail on May
4-5 from 10am-5pm. More information on the Pottery Trail can be found at
https://potterstrail.wixsite.com/pottery-trail. Each artist’s work ranges in ceramic making
techniques, firing process and design methods. There is a range of surface decoration utilized
on each piece, from Fiorino’s use of intricately hand-painted majolica glaze to Dukat’s custom
screen-printed and water-etched patterns. Deller incorporates linework through carving, inlaid
glazes and custom decals. Ortolano decorates with sculptural floral elements from her real and
imagined garden, while Woolsey uses colorful glaze stenciling to imbue forms with abstract and
floral shapes. Grimmer, Johnson and Lorenz achieve their rich ceramic surfaces by feeding logs
into a wood kiln for a unique atmospheric firing. Grimmer’s forms have functionality in design
with washes of intense color. Johnson’s functional and sculptural forms lend their shapes to
architectural, geometric construction with wheel thrown ceramics telling narratives from
everyday experience. Lorenz also uses sculptural elements, decals and carvings to add poetic
narratives and pop culture references to his work. 
Artspace 304 is free and open to the public. Our business hours are Wednesday through
Saturday from 12-5 pm. Parking is available in the First Christian Church parking lot, located on
W Monroe St and S University Ave in Carbondale, IL. For more information on exhibitions,
programming and events, please visit artspace304.org.