A signature fall event is right around the corner, and organizers plan for it to be bigger than ever. Richmond Art Museum’s “Potterypalooza” is set for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, on the museum’s front lawn at 350 Hub Etchison Parkway in Richmond.
First held in 2013, the unique ceramics-only arts fair welcomes artisans from Indiana and nearby Ohio to show and sell their work. Attendees can purchase functional pottery along with abstract work and sculptures.
“We wanted to shine light on an art form preserved by people in the area,” said Lance Crow, RAM’s education director. Crow said the juried show ensures the best work is represented. The event has grown each year, and this year it welcomes 40 artists, the largest in its history.
The show includes activities for the whole family, from food vendors and live music, to a wheel demonstration and the Kids Clay Zone. Crow said it’s something fun for the community, even drawing people who don’t normally frequent the museum.
This year, Potterypalooza runs adjacent to a new exhibit featuring Cambridge City native Bob Ammerman’s collection of Overbeck works. According to a WayNet.org article, sisters Margaret, Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary Francis founded and operated Overbeck Studios, which still stands at 520 E. Church St., Cambridge City. Inside the two-story home, the sisters designed and fired their work, which was described as “simple, beautiful, functional and hand wrought.” In addition to ceramics, they specialized in painting and drawing.
A Lincoln High School graduate, Ammerman’s interest in collecting Overbeck pottery started at a 1965 estate sale. Since then, he’s preserved a variety of pieces — from ceramics to greeting cards. The exhibit is also educational, sharing the sisters’ philosophy and approach to art.
Ammerman’s exhibit is on display through January 2027.
A version of this article appeared in the September 9 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
