An 'Arkansas Living Treasure'

In 2010, potter Peter Lippincott of Fort Smith was declared an Arkansas Living Treasure.

But sometime in the next few months, Lippincott just might be living worlds away from Arkansas.

That means this weekend might be the last chance to buy his wares at the Prairie Grove Clothesline Fair.

Lippincott is recovering from carpal tunnel surgery, but that doesn't figure into his reasoning. He just turned 67 on Aug. 24, and his wife, Marget, is six years older. "She's wanting me to slow down with her," Lippincott says.

On the other hand, so to speak, Lippincott can't imagine not making pottery. Although he started late -- at age 38 -- as an amateur looking for something creative to do with his hands, he's now been at it for almost 30 years.

So Lippincott has a plan. He and Marget have friends in Antigua, where there's a pottery business with a gas kiln that's never been fired. He hopes he can step in with his skills.

"It's really hard for me to believe I would give up pottery," he says. And with the tourist traffic, Antigua would also offer places for Lippincott to practice his hobby, music.

"I don't like sitting around," he says. Just being in a cast for a couple of weeks has left him stir crazy and even happier about interacting with art lovers at the Clothesline Fair, hosted by the Arts Center of the Ozarks every Labor Day at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park.

"Here in Fort Smith, there isn't a whole lot of pottery buying interest," he says. "So I really do need to get out. I don't have people stopping in at my gallery every day. Getting feedback of any kind lets me know how people's interest is running."

Mugs are clearly Lippincott's biggest seller, and he's worked over the years to make the clay thinner for more comfortable use. He does believe that pottery is made to be used, not just displayed.

"I put a whole lot of attention in my making to their functionality and the way they'll feel when they're used," he says of his mugs. Ultimately, he adds, he wants them in hands, not display cases.

"A lot of people tell me, 'Well, I've got your plate hanging on the wall or in a stand on my kitchen counter,'" he says. "I want to tell them to use it. I think pottery is made to be used. That's my hope. Almost all of the pieces I make are functional."

He might have an ulterior motive, too.

"My stuff lasts for 5,000 years if nothing happens to it," he explains. "So when someone tells me they broke a mug, well, I can't really feel too bad. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't go in to candles!"

NAN What's Up on 09/04/2015