I used to get most of my mugs from various garage/yard sales, the Salvation Army and as bad gifts following these occasions:
- graduations
- birthdays
Okay I thought there were more, but that’s all I can think of.
- Oh, if you get sick, sometimes people will give you a mug.
That’s enough for now.
Well. Then I made friends with some potters and realized a whole new way to spend my blood-fought wages. Even with a friend discount, pottery is definitely reserved only for the hands and mouths of the rich. The rest of us hold tap water-filled dixie cups in a trembling, weary hand. Wearing fingerless gloves with chapped cuticles.
I digress.
So how does this relate to anything? My friend Pancho is one of said pottery friends working as a studio assistant at Odyssey Studios in the River Arts District and we are doing a project together. It all began when he was looking through the Asheville Citizen-Times (or Mtn Xpress) and saw a photo of a man with a glorious mustache. Pancho makes a lot of skull-inspired mugs by carving in designs to the clay. And so it was decreed that this man and his mustache, who ever he may have been, would be forever etched into history with a mug dedicated to his likeness.
It was done and the mustache man got wind of this story. Finally given a name, Ben Herring united with Pancho at the studio and posed for a few photos with his new mug.
Well. Well. Well. It turns out this guy co-owns Pies In Disguise, which is a business that he and Eliza Sydney started and they make and sell pies in A’ville. In a barter, the mustache man got his cup and Pancho got two pies, both of which I ate on Thanksgiving and I can attest to their fucking amazingness. Oh and weirdly enough, Pies In Disguise has a MUSTACHE as part of their logo. So it was meant to be, just like me and XXXXX X’XXXX from eighth grade. Here’s a link to the firsthand account. With photos!
So this is going to become a thing. Pancho’s going to scour the townsfolk for inspiration, create a mug/plate/???, spring it on the muse, and then I will be documenting and interviewing them both on video. Once we’ve met with enough people, there will be a gallery party with all the mugs and their respective owners and we will be playing the short docs for each person on the walls or something.
Are you so excited because I so am! Send your suggestions in if you are local or know someone crazy enough to partake in this. Thanks. Yay!