Your doctor is a specialist....
is Your lawYer?
Lisa Salines-Mondello, J.D., LL.M in
Taxation, CELA*
Areas of Practice include:
• Tax, Estate and Elder Law Planning
• Special Needs Planning and Trusts
• Medicaid & Asset Protection Planning
• Guardianship
• Incompetency Planning
• Estate Planning for Families
and Second Marriages
• Veteran’s Planning
• Probate
• Gray Divorces
• Business Succession
* Certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation
and a NC Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law
Helping families preserve tHeir
wealtH, one familY at a time.
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“We were a group of people who wanted to give back to the
community,” Thomas says. “We wanted to keep prices low.”
A nonprofit teaching studio to encourage even more people
to take up pottery led to discussions about forming a guild.
Word went out about a meeting for all interested potters at the
Cameron Art Museum.
“We thought maybe 10-15 people would come,” Thomas says.
“There were about 50-60 people the first night. Now we’re up
to 100. Probably about one-third are professionals. There are a
lot of wannabe professionals. They are just beginning, up-and-comers.
We are getting more young people, which is great.”
Potters and would-be potters of all ages are welcome, but the
longtime members are especially pleased when young people
join. Although it wasn’t the original intent, part of the guild’s pur-pose
has become to keep the art form alive and pass it down.
“I’m getting this vibe from a lot of professionals that they are
worried that the next generation is not going to step up, and
they are afraid that craft shows and just artists in general are
going to die off,” Evans says. “It’s exciting to see young people
join the guild and want to do it professionally.”
The guild continues to grow even without the person who
made it happen in the beginning. Hiroshi is still the vice presi-dent,
but health issues have forced him to step back.
“We were worried when Hiroshi left it would wane, but I think
people still feel his connection,” Evans says.
The connection comes through people like Evans, once a
pupil and now one of two teachers at Orange Street Pottery,
along with Steve Kelly. The passion for pottery gained from
Hiroshi is now passed on through his students.
“Pottery is special,” he says. “It’s a piece of art that can be used
every day. You don’t treat a mug as a mug. You treat it as a piece
of art.”
All of the guild members can display their wares during the
annual holiday show and sale, scheduled to take place at the
Community Arts Center the first weekend in November.
“One of the beauties of the guild is you have professional pot-ters
like Brian who sell their work at the holiday show,” Thomas
says. “Then you have hobbyists like me who sell their work. The
guild is a great equalizer.”
In keeping with the nonprofit character of the organization,
some proceeds from the show go to a local charity. Members
also create and donate vessels for Empty Bowls, which takes
place every two years. The next one is scheduled for March 2018.
Guild members created many of the 1,500 or so bowls for the
2016 fundraiser. Patrons eat a lunch of soup, bread and dessert,
and then take home one of the handcrafted bowls. The 2016
event raised more than $46,000 to support Good Shepherd
Center and Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.
The Offices at Mayfaire II
6781 Parker Farm Drive, Suite 210, Wilmington, NC 28405
910-777-5734 • www.lisa-law.com