Cherokee potter to be honored in Franklin
There will be a public reception for Cherokee artist Joel Queen and the formal presentation of a pottery piece he designed at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 2, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
The large pot piece has a design of seven Carolina parakeets in a flock formation. The eye of each bird is marked with a Macon County ruby. The pot was funded in part with proceeds of the Jim McRae Endowment for the Visual Arts and represents the first project of the endowment.
Queen, a member of the Eastern Band and a descendant of the Bigmeat family, is a ninth-generation potter who is helping to preserve the traditions of Cherokee pottery. He often blends traditional and modern designs and also works as a sculptor and wood carver.
The endowment was established through the Macon County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF). A local group, the Association for the Visual Arts (AVA), serves as an advisory board for the McRae endowment. The piece will be on permanent display at the library following the reception and annual meeting of the Friends of the Macon County Public Library.
The reception is free and open to the public.
828.524.3600 or www.mcraestudio.com or www.joelqueengallery.com.
