Guild Builder Series This is one of a series of blogs on long time members of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen who spent many years volunteering and are members of the Online Chapter of the PGC . The Guild is who we are today because of the pioneering efforts of many craftsmen, such as Allen Weichman and many others. We honor them for laying the building blocks the Guild can build on as we reach for the future.
Pocono Mountain potter Allen Weichman has worn many hats during his adult life: Army Intelligence, Executive Director of the Monroe County Conservation District, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, Soil Conservationist, and potter and co-owner of Groundhog Blues Pottery.
A founding member of both the Pocono Chapter and the Online Chapter, Al has served the Pennsylvania Guild as State Board member for over 20 years, as VP Membership, VP Administration, State President. and Executive Director. He has chaired many State Guild committees, including F&M show chair during the great years, Tyler Show Chair and Site Chair, Long Range Planning, and was actively involved in acquiring both Tyler State Park and the Bushkill Gallery for the PGC. He wrote and set up the Review Board for the PGC among many other accomplishments. Currently, he is President of the Pocono Chapter and Site chair for the Pocono State Craft Festival. He also chairs the Festival of Wood for the US Forest Service. He devotes his volunteer time locally these days.
With his wife Helen he maintains a full show schedule, and is the demonstrating potter for Sugarloaf Craft Festivals.
In 1973,the Weichmans moved to the Pocono Mountains so Al could get his Masters in Environmental Science at East Stroudsburg University. They became caretakers of a 300 acre farm, with two barns, a lake and stream, and proceeded to fill the barns Noah style with animals of every description, fur and feather and opened their pottery studio in 1973.
Working together for 35 years has allowed them to produce both a functional line of dinnerware, with our trademark carving of mountains and trees being our most popular design,and a line of sculptural soup tureens and jars. Throwing each piece by hand allows them to do custom orders.
You can meet Al and see his pottery demonstration at the Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Somerset New Jersey this upcoming weekend and at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival at Oaks next week.http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/
You can follow Groundhog Blues Pottery blog at : http://site.groundhogbluespottery.com/journal/ They post what’s new and what shows they are doing each week.
Groundhog Blues website: http://www.groundhogbluespottery.com/
You can also find Al at the following shows:
RoseSquared Productions in New Jersey: http://www.rosesquared.com/
Kutztown Folk Festival http://www.kutztownfestival.com/
Pocono State Craft Festival: http://www.poconocrafts.com/
People’s Choice Festival: http://www.peopleschoicefestival.com/index.php
Philadelphia Folk Festival: http://www.pfs.org/PFF.php
Tyler State Park Crafts in the Meadow: http://www.ec4ta.org/commactiv.html
Spring Crafts and Fine Art Nassau County Museum of ARt Roslyn Harbor, New York http://www.craftsatlincoln.org/
Patriot Arts Festival in Harrisburg: http://www.harrisburgarts.org/artsfest/
Nice article about really nice people!
I am from the Lenape Bulldog club and have been trying to reach you as we want to order trophies for our bulldog club show. Can you contact me at our email. I have tried the phone but it only rings.