Annual Pottery Lovers Show Begins at the Holiday Inn Express in Zanesville

ZANESVILLE, OH – Wednesday marks the beginning of the Pottery Lovers Show and Sale in Zanesville – drawing people from across the country to celebrate the largest and oldest gathering of pottery collectors and dealers.

Pottery Lovers have set up their shops in hotel rooms at the Holiday Inn and Suites off Spring Street in Zanesville, kicking off the week’s festivities.

Pottery Lovers are a group of antique and contemporary pottery buyers and sellers that meet once a year in the Zanesville community. Their event, while ever-growing, has found a unique way to display their products – through renting out the whole Holiday Inn Express. Vendors can reserve a room in the building and set up their shop, showcasing a variety of pottery from both the Zanesville community and other places across the US.

Patti Bourgeois, Vice President of Pottery Lovers and Pottery Enthusiast, spoke with WHIZ regarding the sellers’ excitement about showcasing their collections to the public in the unique venue. 

“If you have two pieces, they say you are a collector. So it doesn’t matter how many pieces you have, but I say those are people that have a Pottery Soul. It’s something in you – and I don’t know what it is – but I think we all have it.”

Over the past century, Zanesville has become a pottery hub. By 1905, more than five hundred workers were employed in Weller’s Pottery Plant – the biggest manufacturer in Zanesville at the time. These workers produced three boxcars full of pottery every day and made Weller the largest manufacturer of pottery in the world by the 1910s. Pottery manufacturing remains a vital component of Zanesville’s economy today – still drawing in many enthusiasts each year as the event continues to grow.

The event invites everyone from experts to novices – with Bourgeois emphasizing the value shows like these can bring to the Zanesville area. 

“Many of these pieces are well over 100 years old that are in this room. And they could tell a story if they could talk, but they can’t. So we have to tell their story.”

The hotel showcase will remain open through Saturday, with many rooms opening as early as 8 am and closing around 5 pm. All of the pottery presented is sold from the individual room vendors.