Elegant shapes with a touch of whimsy…enhanced with rich, jewel-like glazes…please the eye and the hands that hold them.
These are the trademarks of Purple Sage Pottery, located in the town of Merrimac in northeastern Massachusetts.
The slab built and wheel thrown reduction-fired pottery of potter Iris Minc is available year-round for purchase from the Purple Sage gallery.
Twice annually the studio puts on a Pottery Sale Extravaganza, where the public may purchase the functional and decorative wares, and clay sculptures of another 14 New England potters.
At Purple Sage, you can also take pottery classes from one of several dedicated teachers, enjoy open studio time on Saturdays or rent studio space.
Purple Sage News
Sign up now for Summer Classes!
Starting the week of June 4th
We offer classes for all ages taught by teachers as committed to teaching as they are to pottery. While grounded in the fundamentals of hand-building, throwing and glazing, we strive to nurture your creative spirit. Classes are small, having at most 10 students. You can take full advantage of our well-equipped studios, including electric wheels, slab rollers, extruders and various tools. We have an extensive selection of beautiful reduction-fired glazes. Your work is handled with great care, and we pride ourselves on the exceptional results we get from our 70 cubic foot gas fired kiln.
Raku Workshops with Iris are coming up in June.
Two workshops; a morning workshop and an evening workshop.
Each offer two sessions to make pots and a third day for the firing.
The firing process is very immediate and dramatic. You will be pulling red-hot pots out of the kiln and immersing them in combustibles. The reduction firing process turns the bare clay a satiny black, and produces glaze results ranging from metallic lusters and blue green to white crackle.
for more information go to Classes
Upcoming Shows
Purple Sage Pottery Open Studio
May 5th & 6th
Fifteen local potters will be exhibiting their wares at Purple Sage Pottery. As always we will have an
abundance of pottery in an amazing variety. There will be a kiln opening on Saturday morning and demonstrations throughout the weekend. A most fun and enjoyable way to do your shopping.
Come celebrate the 90th birth year
of ceramic artist Bonnie Jean Malcolm!
Bonnie has been working on a series of stylized bird sculptures for the open studio sale. She is calling the series "The Conference of the Birds". Bonnie will have 89 birds ranging in size from about 2" to about 18" tall for the sale.
Bonnie's career in art began at 15 years of age when her work was selected for display at the National Ceramic Show in Syracuse, New York. She has continued to compete in juried shows and has won many awards throughout her long career. Her work has been displayed all over the world.
Bonnie's mostly abstract work is imbued with vigor and shows her deep love of art and the natural world. Bonnie loves to experiment with interesting shapes, textures, glaze formulas and clays; often combining local earths and plant materials into her work. When asked to describe her work, Bonnie says, "Everything is an experiment".
for more information go to Shows
the State of Clay 
at the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society
the 7th biennial juried show for Massachusetts clay artists
April 22 - May 20
OPENING RECEPTION Sunday, May 6, 2-5 pm
Gallery talk with juror Doug Casebeer at 3 pm
Mochizuki, Fumihiko's piece "Full Moon and Energy" and Iris' 9 piece installation "Lotus" are among the 81 pieces chosen by jurror Doug Casebeer for the 2012 State of Clay juried ceramics show. Doug's criteria for the show were:
1. a demonstrated proficiency in material
2. a spirit of exploration and play
for more information go to www.stateofclay.com
Paradise City Northampton, MA
May 26th - 28th
Iris Minc and Fumihiko Mochizuki (Mochi) will be exhibiting their wares along with 275 other talented artists. Come and have your senses filled with delight. Iris and Mochi will be in Booth # 805.
League of NH Craftsmens Show, Sunapee, NH
August 4th - 12th
New Gallery section
We now have an expanded photo gallery with glaze samples, and pictures of all the standard production items that we make here at Purple Sage Pottery and a corresponding price list, plus some of our one-of-a-kind pieces.
Please give us your email address to receive emails about our shows. If you would like information about our classes make sure to put your name on the classes list.
Page Last Modified 04-24-2012