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 Joe Bennion by Shawn Rossiter
It is Labor Day weekend. Behind the small showroom of Horseshoe Mountain Pottery, as a burning stick of incense encircles the potter with a soft aroma, Joe Bennion taps an even rhythm on the pedal of his kickwheel and throws another lump of clay onto the center of the wheelhead. A cut piece of watermelon, a lucky haul from the Bennion's garden, lies on a countertop. On a parallel counter, a small cash box where patrons leave checks and cash for the ceramics they take away from Bennion's shelves lies open. The workspace's walls are filled with an eclectic mix of images and slogans -- an LDS poster with an image of Jesus is a few feet from a scarlet, Leninist flag, while surrounding the potter are photos of his family. A bumper sticker reading "Kill Your |
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Television" graces the lintel of the doorway that leads to the storeroom. Sometime this week, Bennion will load up his wood-burning kiln and fire this new batch of pots in time for his September 13th Studio Sale. Then he's off to run groups down the Colorado River. If you can't make the Studio Sale, you'll miss Joe, but Horseshoe Mountain Pottery will also be open during the Spring City Studio Tour (see page 5).
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Feature: On the Spot
 Salt Lake's Jerry Rapier
 What hangs above your mantel?
I don't have a mantel. But I do have a mini Etch-A-Sketch by the toilet which more than person has expressed appreciation for. My pride and joy are my six original Greg Ragland pieces. But those aren't in the bathroom.
What is your favorite building in Utah?
The building where Martine is located (the south side of 100 South between Main and Regent Street). I've always been fascinated by it - it looks like the cast of "Fame" should bust out the door and do a big production number on the stoop.
What is the most memorable exhibit you've seen recently?
The Picasso exhibit at MOMA last summer. There aren't adequate word to describe the power of seeing the originals. There must have been 50 pieces, arranged in chronological order. In that context cubism made sense to me.
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15 Bytes: About Us
This Edition
 Tom Alder recently left a 30-year mortgage banking career to become a partner in Williams Fine Art where he specializes in early Utah art. In December, he received his MA from the University of Utah in art history and wrote his thesis about Henri Moser. He also serves on the board of the Museum of Utah Art and History.
 Terrece Beesley earned a BFA in painting and textile design from Utah State University and pursued a career in product design, publishing and computer animation, while raising three children. Her watercolor paintings can be seen at Art at the Main in Salt Lake City.
 Ehren Clark received his BA in Modern and Contemporary Art History and Critcism at the University of Utah and an MA in the art of the Renaissance at the University of Reading, UK. He currently writes for the In Utah This Week, as well as being published in other journals in Utah.
 Steve Coray has a background in photojournalism and now runs his own business providing creative, affordable event and portrait photography to clients all along the Wasatch Front and beyond.
 Amanda Finlayson has a BA in English from Westminster College. Since 2003, she has been the Programming & Develop- ment Manager for VSA arts of Utah (Art Access). She also serves on the Utah Arts Council's Arts Education Panel, and is the Treasurer for the Utah Cultural Alliance Board of Directors.
 Sue Martin holds an M.A. in Theatre and has worked in public relations. As an artist, she works in watercolor, oil, and acrylic to capture Utah landscapes or the beauty of everyday objects in still life. She writes Hints 'n Tips, a regular feature, for 15 Bytes. Her work will be featured in an exhibit entitled Figuratively Speaking at Art at the Main in Salt Lake City.
 Kimberly Rock received a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Utah in 1998. A life-long art fanatic, Kimberly lives with her daughter, Anna, in Holladay.
Shawn Rossiter successfully dropped out of a Masters Program in Comparative Literature to become a painter (the success of which is yet to be determined). In 2001 he founded Artists of Utah and is the editor of 15 Bytes.
 Geoff Wichert, like all critics, is a failed artist. So far as he can tell, that doesn't guarantee success as a critic, either. He agrees with Einstein that no point of view is uniquely privileged.
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