16 Hands Bids Adieu to ‘Forever Grateful’ Artist
-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press newspaper on December 2, 2021.
The weekend after Thanksgiving was Josh Copus’ last 16 Hands Studio Tour as a member of the long-standing artisan group, 16 Hands. Copus, who grew up in Floyd and lives in Marshall, NC, was welcomed into the group in 2009, along with woodworker Benji Osborne, as a step to involve younger artisans into the collective.
Over the years, Copus primarily showed at his childhood home. “It’s been a great honor to be a part of this group for so many years. When I was asked to join, it was one of the most validating experiences in my very young career,” Copus said.
“Many of the original members of 16 Hands were maternal and paternal figures in my life from childhood,” he continued. “They are some of my closest mentors and I will be forever grateful for their positive influence on my life and career.”
Copus stated that it was time to step away from the twice-yearly studio tours so that he could better focus on pursuits in Marshall, just outside of Asheville. He and his wife Emily Copus run four businesses between them that include Josh Copus Ceramics, The Old Marshall Jail Hotel and Bar, Zadies local food grocery store and cafe and Carolina Flowers flower farm.
In 2019, 16 Hands added six new members to its renowned collective. Josh Manning, Wendy Wrenn Werstlein, Hona Knudsen, Andrea Denniston, Seth Guzovsky and Sarah McCarthy joined Copus, Osborne and the original founders, which currently include Silvie Granatelli, Donna Polseno, Ellen Shankin and Brad Warstler.
Copus states that he will still be involved in the annual tours as a guest artist and as schedules allow. This past weekend, his last as a 16 Hands member, he showed at Sarah McCarthy’s pottery studio on Fairview Church Road.
McCarthy, whose functional work has been described by customers as joyful and whimsical, came from Tennessee to Floyd County 21 years ago and has been creating pottery for the past 15 years. She started out working at the Floyd Center for the Arts (formerly the Jacksonville Center), using their equipment, and running a pottery business incubator there. “I don’t know if I’d be doing this today if I didn’t have that support,” she said.
“I love connecting with people and am so grateful for their support,” McCarthy said, noting the importance of people meeting the maker, seeing where they live and where they make art. “This interaction of knowing the maker is huge. We’re losing that a bit in our culture today,” she added.
Traffic was brisk in McCarthy’s studio over the three-day weekend tour November 26-28. There were warm welcomes, art talk, brownies made by her husband, and customers turning over McCarthy’s pots to read the inspirational messages inscribed in them by McCarthy, like this one by John Muir: “And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.”
“We’re going to miss Josh,” McCarthy acknowledged, while also noting that change is a constant part of life. ______Colleen Redman
Note: Josh is my son. I have a sidebar category that documents his adventures HERE.
