Emerge Gallery to hold Pop In Pop Art workshop

Emerge Gallery is hosting their next Pop In Pop Art workshop this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. where participants will have the opportunity to create pottery at an affordable price.

There will be five time slots available for the Saturday session, with each one beginning on the half hour mark.

Pop In Pop Art is a workshop series which allows members of the Greenville community, as well as those visiting, to “pop in” and make art as a “quick Saturday activity,” according to Paula Rountree, the event’s coordinator.

Emerge Gallery & Art Center kicked off their workshops March 2. The workshops are held at the same time on both the first and third Saturday of every month. The mediums used can change every workshop, but the gallery has recently been focused on the pottery wheel, Rountree said.

“Pop In Pop Art is for anyone who wanted to create something awesome, such as children as young as three and on up to adults. I love that people can just pop in off the street and discover a new medium,” Rountree said.

According to Rountree, participants attending the workshop this Saturday should prepare to get a little messy, but also leave with a one of a kind piece of artwork.

Up to eight people can attend a session. Participants can pre-register, but it is not required, according to Rountree.

“We decided to give this workshop layout a try because we have many people asking what they can stop in and do on a Saturday, but they aren’t ready to make a commitment and sign up for private lessons,” Rountree said.

Penny Suter, a resident of Apex, North Carolina, will be attending the event with her sister. Suter attended the gallery’s last event with her daughter, who is an ECU alumna. She found out about Emerge Gallery while visiting her daughter who was still in school at the time.

Suter said she heard about this Saturday’s event on the gallery’s Facebook page. She said she is excited to throw clay, as well as meet local and student artists.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea to be able to "pop in" and create something beautiful. It’s super easy. I think it will be so much fun to see all the creative, beautiful work,” Suter said.

Along with the Pop In Pop Art events, Suter said she also would like to attend one of the Gallery’s Wine/Pottery events in the future, where participants get the opportunity to make artwork as well as enjoying a glass of wine.

Suter had the opportunity to attend and volunteer at Emerge’s “Polar Express” event in December 2018, as well as recently attending the Pitt County Art Council Art Teacher exhibition this year on May 3.

“It was so cute seeing all the children get excited to create a little pot on the wheels. I recently attended the Pitt County Art Teacher event showing creative work from local art teachers. They were very talented teachers indeed,” Suter said.

Nathan Black, who has been living in Greenville since 1987, said he will be attending the Pop In Pop Art event for his first time with his wife and potentially some of his friends, but said he would be glad to attend with anyone who loves and supports the arts.

Black said he has been connected to the gallery for some time and heard about Saturday’s event on Emerge’s Facebook page. He has attended other events at the gallery before and said they have always been “exceptional.”

“What attracted me (to the event) was the quality of work I've seen come out of Emerge and their standard of bringing local artists' work to the community. I enjoy their events,” Black said. “It's a fantastic place and they do a great job of highlighting the works on display as well as making it accessible for the public to feel welcome and invited.”

Black said he is looking forward to attending the event and seeing what mediums and art are available, as well as having a chance to mingle with other members of the community. He is excited to see great artwork and learn something new.

Each pottery session will last 20 to 30 minutes and admission for the event is $10. To pre-register, or to find out more information, please visit Emerge’s website or call 252-551-6947.