Bartlett artists spotlighted at WinterArts

Three Bartlett artists have been selected to show their work at the 2017 edition of WinterArts. The seasonal exhibition – often cited as “The South’s Premiere Holiday Artists’ Market” – is underway through Dec. 24 in east Memphis at Park Place Centre, 1215 Ridgeway Road at Park Avenue.

This year’s WinterArts welcomes Bartlett resident Michele Price as a new addition to the show. Price employs scrafitto in decorating her pottery. This process involves scratching patterns into a surface color to reveal a reverse design in the clay beneath. Price markets her work under the sobriquet of Moon Momma Pottery and offers a range of fun pottery in functional forms, from trays and dip sets to Christmas ornaments.

Returning Bartlett pottery artist Jen Winfrey infuses clay with whimsy to create a range of small holiday-themed sculptures of animals, including a number of dog breeds, as well as birds decked out with Santa hats. Winfrey’s famed ceramic flowers are also present at the show, blooming from iron stems created by her collaborator and husband, John Winfrey. John also makes the metal bases for the couple’s ceramic-topped tables. The Winfreys have participated in WinterArts since its inception; in fact, she was a driving force behind WinterArts’ founding.

A third artist is new to Bartlett but is a three-year veteran of WinterArts. Retired advertising executive Larry Pardue, who created the images of animals sculpted from food that were once featured on Zoo Rendezvous posters, is a recent transplant to Bartlett. In retirement, Larry makes bird houses. These are not, however, the kind that are likely to wind up in one’s back yard. They are detailed architectural sculptures with rooftops shingled with individual pinecone petals or scalloped copper, and they are much more likely to end up gracing some one’s living room than provide shelter to a bird (though they are constructed to do so).

These three artful Bartlett citizens join the 39 artists from the Southeast whose work is featured at WinterArts.

WinterArts is currently celebrating its ninth year, presenting handcrafted works in glass, metal, wood, fiber and clay, plus jewelry and more. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. For more information see winterartsmemphis.com or WinterArtsMemphis on Facebook.