The Fall 16 Hands Studio Tour is just around the corner, coming on October 19th and 20th. Twice a year, in early May and again in mid-October, the members of 16 Hands open their studios to highlight the best of their work, as well as the work of the Floyd community and their guest artists. The spring tour was a great success and the members, along with their invited guests and customers enjoyed the beautiful spring weather. During the 16 Hands fall tour, you will experience Floyd’s stunning fall foliage and the new line-up of local and regional visiting artists.
The six studios are located throughout the county, and while visiting all six in one day is doable, extending your visit over the two days is the way to go. If you are driving in from Roanoke, Charlottesville, or Washington, D.C., and beginning the tour from the north, your first stop will be Josh Manning and Hona Knudsen’s studio in the northern part of the county. Someone driving up from North or South Carolina and joining the tour from the south will probably want to stop at either Sarah McCarthy’s or Abby Reczek’s studio. Each studio host can help you find the fastest route to the next studio or the best place to enjoy a leisurely lunch in town. As a way to make your trip go as smoothly as possible, the mileage between stops is listed on the tour map and will help you plan your route, and the studios will even offer light beverages and snacks for you to enjoy while you shop and visit.
During each tour, the members of 16 Hands enjoy hosting talented guest artists and introducing their customers to new works of art. Many of these guests are from surrounding areas and some are from all over the country. This fall you will meet five amazing visiting artists.
Beginning in the southern part of Floyd County and moving north, Beatriz Gutierrez will be Sarah McCarthy’s guest. Beatriz grew up on the island of Tenerife, Spain and began her clay journey in Scotland at age 28. She continued her studies in 2010 at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Beatriz built her own wood kiln at her home in Bedford County, VA. Her wood fired pots have beautiful and enticing surfaces, each unique in their form.
At Abby Reczek’s studio, you will meet Hanna Traynham. Hannah is a native, having grown up in Floyd. While growing up she closely observed natural growth patterns and cycles found in nature. Her ceramic sculptures refer to nature’s balance, imperfection, and constant change. Hannah finds inspiration in the rigid lace-like skeletal remains of leaves as well as the fluid movements of water and flames. Like Beatriz, her work is also wood fired, resulting in colorful marks from the flame and textural variations from the accumulation of wood ash on the surface of her work.
Toward the middle of the county, JoeFrank McKee will be waiting to meet you at Ron Sutterer’s studio. Joe is a studio potter who resides in the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Joe is one of the organizers of the Western North Carolina Pottery Festival, a yearly event in NC in which several 16 Hands Members participate each year. He creates a wide range of work, from low-fired horsehair raku and fumed pottery to high-fired functional pieces for everyday use. Joe creates pots that reflect natural scenes in an abstract and contemporary way and appeal to a wide range of people.
Traveling from Ron’s studio, you will meet Steven Summerville at Wrenn Pottery. Steven’s work in clay began in the 1980’s and his influences stem from an array of areas, including art history, archaeology, animation, dance, and nature. Steven combines his research in slip trailed earthenware from 17th century England, which is the application of fine lines onto a clay surface, with his affinity for bright colors creating bold work that is functional, modern, and youthful. Poor Farm Pottery is a perfect stop between Ron’s studio and Wrenn Pottery. They do not have a guest artist for this fall tour, but will have new work available for viewing.
Leaving Wrenn Pottery and traveling north, you will have the pleasure of meeting Chris Gryder at Josh Manning and Hona Knudsen’s studio. Chris’s home and studio are in Vinton. His path as an artist has been based primarily on form-making, first at Tulane School of Architecture in Louisiana and then in Arizona at Arcosanti where he worked with Paolo Soleri in the Sonoran Desert. His focus on clay was further nurtured while earning an MFA at Rhode Island School of Design. He has maintained his artistic practice for the past 25 years, developing public artworks and commissions, as well as promoting work within the art market.
You won’t want to miss the fall studio tour this October 19th-20th, so mark your calendars! The tour promises new work by members plus the work of their guest artists while enjoying the beautiful fall foliage of Floyd. Can’t make the fall, then mark your calendar for the spring studio tour May 3rd and 4th, 2025. For more information on the 16 Hands studio tour, the members of 16 Hands, the guest artists, and to find future 2025 tour dates, follow them on Instagram (@16.hands) and Facebook (16 Hands Studio Tour).
Please visit https://www.16hands.com/visiting-artists to read more about the work of the guest artists and to get a sneak peek at some of their pieces.