“Traudi Thornton: Pottery, Pantry & Seconds Sale”
March 1 – April 21, 2024
Opening Reception: Sunday, March 3, 2-5pm

Art in Bloom Gallery is pleased to continue our collaboration with the estate of master ceramicist, Traudi Thornton (1940-2023). Join us for an opening reception, which will be held on Sunday, March 3rd from 2-5pm, with live music featuring violinist, Shirley Lebo!

Traudi continues her unique presence at Art in Bloom Gallery, where she participated in exhibits and sales beginning in 2015. The gallery is pleased to present “Pottery, Pantry & ‘Seconds Sale’” featuring unique works of pottery by the artist along with a selection of “Seconds”. A second in pottery means that the work has slight imperfections such as flaws or pitting on the glazed surface, blemishes, stress cracks or glaze drips. For Traudi, most of these pieces ended up in her pantry where she used them daily. Art in Bloom Gallery is honored to be able to release this special selection of her work to honor her memory. On view along with this exhibit will be “Two Minds, One Artist” by Cary painter and artist, Constance Pappalardo. Whether she is
working in black and white or in color Constance’s contemporary abstract watercolors evoke feelings of hope and peace, in addition to beauty. Her black and white works are inspired by music where her paintings in color are about light and imagination. Constance’s color work is heavily influenced by nature and the magic of the ever-changing landscape.

Gallery events are always free and open to the public. On view along with these exhibits, Art in Bloom Gallery showcases a plethora of fine art by over 30 local artists. The gallery is open Monday–Saturday 10am–7pm and Sunday 12-6pm and is now located in Mayfaire Town Center at 6866 Main Street in Wilmington, NC.
If you prefer to shop from home the Art in Bloom Gallery Website (www.aibgallery.com) is always open! Purchase art online and pick up at the door or take advantage of our free local delivery. Plus we can also ship anywhere within the U.S. Art in Bloom also offers complementary gift wrapping and gift cards available.

About the Artist
Traudi Thornton was born in Czechoslovakia in 1940. She first studied music at Creighton University before studying ceramics with Henry Soreco at Creighton, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and raku in a workshop with Paul Soldner at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1972. She returned to Germany and joined a cooperative art community in which she lived and worked on ceramics.

Love precipitated her move to Wilmington in 1983. She once again built a ceramic studio and began teaching ceramics at the Community Art Center where she influenced many budding ceramists.
Traudi said, “Working with clay validates my existence. During the plastic state, the relationship is that of master and a much beloved pet. I tell the clay to stay and push it, but often I have to listen. We have a rhythm. Clay needs heat to be transferred to a hard material. After the first fire everything turns from a state of grey to pink, and a slight estrangement takes place because they now look different than what they did before. Glazes also look pink or white or grey before they are fired. I imagine now how the optics will look in their
final state, and after making choices the second fire takes over. Total surrender is demanded by heat and flame. After the firing is completed, the cooling period leaves my mood fluctuating between doubt and hope. And, then only after removing the pieces from the kiln, can I say they belong to me.”

Traudi showed and sold her work through Art in Bloom Gallery beginning in 2015. She is survived by brother, Walt Bayer and his wife Tina, nephew Jurgen Wilde and the family she chose and loved here in Wilmington.