joe frank mckee Archives

Special Exhibit: MN Pottery Festival Past & Present

March 17, 2019 By Morgan

Join us for a special two week pottery show in the Clay Coyote Gallery in partnership with the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts’ (NCECA) 53rd annual conference, Claytopia!

This is a once-in-an-every-two-decade opportunity. And we are really excited to bring a part of it to Hutchinson and the Southwest region.

The concurrent exhibit will explore the story of the MN Pottery Festival and celebrate some of the past and present clay artists from across the United States who have been sharing their craft with rural
Southwest Minnesota since the festival began in 2012.

Featuring the work of Kerry Brooks, Reiko Cunningham-Uchytil, Karin Kraemer, Joe Frank McKee, Ernest Miller, Lee Persell, Nate Saunders, Mary Jo Schmith, Joey Sheehan, Zac Spates, and Tony Winchester. Curated by Morgan Baum

Our Exhibit is free and open to the public. All the pottery is for sale.

It’s running March 14th thru March 31st, during regular Gallery hours. We have an opening night reception from 5-8pm on March 14th and the official reception on Saturday, March 30th from 3-7pm.

Located in the Clay Coyote Gallery (17614 240th Street, Hutchinson, MN 55350; just 4.5 miles north on Highway 15, turn right at 240th Street, look for blue signs)

More info and photos on the blog here…

Claytopia in the Gallery March 14-31st

March 13, 2019 By Morgan

Starting Thursday, March 14th, 2019 we are featuring a special all ceramic exhibit in the Clay Coyote Gallery.

The Exhibit will run March 14 through the 31st in conjunction with Claytopia, The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts’ (NCECA) 53rd annual conference that is taking place in Minneapolis March 27-30, 2019 (the last time this conference was in Minnesota was 1996).

Our exhibit will explore past and present clay artists from across the United States who have been sharing their craft with rural Southwest Minnesota over the last seven years.

Artists featured are: Kerry Brooks (Minneapolis), Reiko Cunningham-Uchytil (IA), Karin Kraemer (Duluth), Joe Frank McKee (NC), Ernest Miller (Minneapolis), Lee Persell, (MN), Nate Saunders (Collegeville), Mary Jo Schmith (St. Paul), Joey Sheehan (NC), Zac Spates (WI), Tony Winchester (IA).

Our Exhibit is free and open to the public. All the pottery is for sale (30% is a charitable donation to the MN Pottery Festival and 70% goes to the artists).

Join us for the public reception: celebrate the exhibit, enjoy live music, complimentary food and beverages, and meet the artists at on Saturday, March 30th from 3-7pm.

Located in the Clay Coyote Gallery (17614 240th Street, Hutchinson, MN 55350; just 4.5 miles north on Highway 15, turn right at 240th Street, look for blue signs)

Exhibit is open during regular Gallery Hours.

Some photos from the exhibit:

Claytopia, NCECA2019 at Clay Coyote in Hutchinson MN

The Hottest Event of the Summer in Hutchinson, MN!

July 26, 2017 By Kylie Lawson

It’s almost time for one of the ‘hottest’ events of the summer: The 6th Annual Minnesota Pottery Festival! This event will take place Saturday, July 29th from 10am – 5pm and Sunday, July 30th from 12pm – 4pm. This is a free event and open to all ages. Located at 17614 240th St. Hutchinson, MN 55350, you will find over 35 different pottery vendors from across the United States on site ready to showcase and sell their works of art. Some of the returning artists include:

Karen & Mike Baum — Baum Pottery (OH)
Kerry Brooks — Dock 6 Pottery (MN)
Kevin Caufield — Caufield Pottery (MN)
Miky Cunningham — Cunningham Pottery (IA)
Lewis Derry — Asleep @ the Wheel Pottery (MN)
Bill Gossman — Gossman Pottery (MN)
Luci Haas — Adorae Artworks (MN)
Travis Hinton — Travis Hinton Pottery (SD)
Tony Holman — Holman Pottery (TX)

…as well as 11 others and 14 first-timers to the festival, four of them being new, emerging artists.

There’s plenty of things to do and see at the festival. The Hutchinson Phoenix Drumline will be performing at 10:30am on Saturday and 1:45pm on Sunday. They will also be selling concessions throughout the day with the proceeds going to their fundraiser. Another fun event is the Kids’ Station where children of all ages can try their hand at throwing a pot and the Clay Coyote will fire the pieces and families can come back to pick them up between August 4-12. This is a great way to get the kids involved and put their artist skills to the test!

A Rakú demonstration will be happening twice on Saturday at 11:45am and 3pm and once on Sunday at 12:45pm. This will be done by potter Joe Frank McKee from North Carolina. He will be demonstrating the art of the Rakú style of firing pottery! Rakú is a Japanese word that means enjoyment, happiness, and comfort. This is an ancient technique where the pottery is fired outdoors in a wood or propane kiln. While the glaze is still molten, the pots are pulled out to cool in the open air. Be sure to check it out!

The main event that is being held is the Pottery Olympics! The potters that our joining us this year will compete against the clock and be judged on their work in different categories such as tallest cylinder, widest bowl, and even best piece while blindfolded! There will be five different heats, three on Saturday and two on Sunday. Each heat will last a half hour and the winners will be announced Sunday at 3:30pm. This is one event you will surely not want to miss!

Here is the full schedule for this weekend’s event!

We hope to see you out here THIS WEEKEND to support the potters and appreciate the art being made. This fun and exciting event will be sure to create lasting memories!