MAIN GALLERY at FACC through October

S & J Pottery is the combined efforts of Joseph Jostes and Susan Skinner. Joe has been working clay for 30 years, Sue for 28. Together they produce traditionally inspired redware, mocha, and salt glazed stoneware in a studio in Bethel, Missouri.

During the year they participate in numerous fairs, shows and exhibits, from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and Kentucky to Virginia, Missouri and beyond.

“The historical roots of our designs provide a rich tapestry from which we draw inspiration. English, French, German and American “pots of old” speak to us of a traditional line of craftsmen who labored daily to provide a community with not only functional but beautiful, whimsical, artful objects.” The works include themes such as “Couples”, “Craftsman”, and “Slices of Daily Life”. Idioms and snippets of wisdom are written in the design, in German, or Pennsylvania Dutch with English translations on the back. “Allowing ourselves to retell these traditional stories through our own hearts and hands keeps our lives and we hope our work fresh and interesting.”

More contemporary works are also created by both Sue & Joe, with painstaking carving and multiple layers of glaze. This exhibit will be on display in the Main Gallery and remain in place until the end of October.