Free pottery show slated for Saturday at TLU
(Seguin) — Seguin and Guadalupe County are invited to spend part of their weekend with the Hiram Wilson and James Wilson clan. The descendants of the men will gather for another tribute to the men’s legacy as the first black entrepreneurs in the state of Texas. Freed from slavery by emancipation, the pair of brothers took the skills of their former master and founded the Wilson Potteries company in Capote, a small community south of Seguin. Today, their legacy has evolved in the Wilson Pottery Foundation and Museum.
This weekend’s two day gathering includes the 19th Annual Wilson Pottery Foundation Gala on Friday and the 21st Annual Wilson Pottery Show on Saturday. Both events will be held at the Texas Lutheran University Student Activity Center.
Paula King-Harper is Hiram’s fifth-generation granddaughter and the president of the foundation. She says a few tickets remain for those who are hoping to attend the gala. She says the program will include Guest Speaker Kayla Johnson, a James descendent from the Houston area as well as Special Guest Lawrence Sampleton, the former University of Texas at Austin and Philadelphia Eagles football player. Sampleton has been invited to present this year’s first ever Future Pioneer Award. The award will be presented to nominated children who are descendants of both Hiram and James. In addition to the program, the event will include music and food.
Saturday includes an open invitation to a free indoor pottery show on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at TLU. King-Harper says although they host the show in October during the city’s Pecan Fest, the group wanted to do something a bit different as well as in conjunction with the gala.
“The pottery show entrance is free and there will be vendors from across Texas that will be there showing their collectible antique pottery not just for view.
Some will be for sale as well and so we are expecting a wonderful turnout from the Texas community of stonework collectors,” said King-Harper.
King-Harper says this year’s pottery show not only includes the famous Wilson creations but will provide folks with a look at the pottery of this entire area.
“There were people in Stockdale and St. Hedwig and various parts of the Seguin community who made pottery around that same era so it’s like a small history lesson in ceramics. There will be all kinds of pottery,” said King-Harper.
Proceeds from the gala and sales from the pottery show will go towards the maintenance of the existing Wilson Pottery Museum located at the Sebastopol House at 704 Zorn St. It will also go toward supporting the foundation’s dream of building its own museum in the future.
The gala gets underway at 6 p.m. Friday at the TLU Student Activity Center located at 824 Fleming Dr.
Gala tickets are $50 for adults and $12.50 for kids 12 and under. Tickets and can be purchased by calling King-Harper at 210-850-4027. Information can also be found at wilsonpotteryfoundation.org.