Verna Witt
For Verna Witt, pottery began as a means to create functional vessels for everyday use. She enjoys stretching the limits of the clay to reach beyond the functional to create works that challenge the senses in both form and texture.
Verna’s life as a ceramic artist reflects her formal training as a textile designer. Her work is often inspired by fashion; from clothing to accessories. She creates clay vessels that might seem “wearable”, which she hopes, will appeal to people who can see beyond the usual.
While she explores the pottery traditions of North Carolina, Verna is also looking for ways to create vessels that fool the eye. With the “faux” look of woven baskets or the metallic look of a zipper or buckle, she entices the viewer take a closer look and perhaps tempts them to touch her pottery to make sure it is all made of clay. Verna has a serious commitment to clay but at the same time enjoys the whimsy and its infinite possibilities.
Since retiring, she is an active potter and member of ClayMatters Pottery Guild in Charlotte and Waxhaw Arts Council and serves as a docent at the Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph.