Handmade Pottery Mugs in Ellicottville Support Memorial Library

Local

Mar 11

Just as no two books share the same story, no two mugs made by Jennifer Widger are alike! Stop into Nature’s Remedy at 26 Monroe Street, Ellicottville, where Widger’s beautiful mugs are available. A portion of each mug sale is donated to the Ellicottville Memorial Library. What could be better than a cozy hot drink in a one-of-a-kind mug that supports a valuable community resource?

Art and creativity have been part of Widger’s life for many years, and although she didn’t intend to get involved with pottery specifically, it’s an art form she has grown to love. Now she’s giving some of that love right back to Ellicottville - the community she calls home.

A lawyer who works in the courts, Widger had been part of a drawing group for more than a decade. “We had a wonderful group that got together every week, and then during Covid, we stopped,” Widger recalled. “After that, I was missing the opportunity to have an art outlet, and that’s how I ended up at the Tri-County Arts Council.”

The arts council, located in Olean, offered pottery classes, which were available on the weekends and worked well with her schedule. “They have a very supportive community, and Geraldine Nash Smith is just fabulous… She’s a great instructor, and she’s so supportive and giving of her time and vast knowledge,” Widger explained. “I think the reason I’ve gotten into pottery is that it’s just a wonderful opportunity. It wasn’t really that pottery was something I originally wanted to do. I just wanted to do artwork.”

For the past three years, Widger has been doing wheel-thrown pottery, and approximately six months ago, she took her first hand-built pottery class at the arts council. “My mugs are all thrown on the wheel,” she noted. “I try to have no two mugs alike. I enjoy carving and shaping, and I like to experiment with glazes.” Widger noted that at the arts council, each potter has developed their own unique style which others are able to recognize. “Mine are more what we call organic, wabi-sabi,” she reflected. “I like things with texture and funky colors - I experiment. Sometimes I love it, and sometimes, I don’t. But I enjoy the process.”

As is the case for artisans who have been creating for a while, Widger had amassed quite a bit of product but was not interested in selling it. “I just want something for fun,” she explained. “I donate some pottery to the [arts council] studio so that they can sell it and keep the profit, and I’ve always been a fan of the Ellicottville Library. I am retiring this summer, and I was trying to decide what civic activities I want to support, and the library was one of them and the art studio at Tri-County Arts is the other one.”

A conversation with Nature’s Remedy owner Gretchen Mendell led Widger to bring her mugs to the store. “She said she loved them, and I offered to give them to her… and she wanted to pay me. I didn’t want to take payment, so instead I asked if she would just give a donation to the library. That’s all that I want, and I let her determine how much.”

Widger recognized Mendell’s generosity, as she gives more money to the library than she keeps for her overhead costs. It’s a win-win-win for everyone, Widger added: “I live in Ellicottville, and her shop is in Ellicottville, and it benefits a good civic location.”

Coincidentally, Widger’s involvement at the Ellicottville Memorial Library is expanding, as she is going to be joining the board of directors. She explained that there has been a Widger on the board since the library was created, and added that one of her husband’s relatives (Carolyn Widger) was one of the library’s original founders and served on the board for more than 50 years. “Carolyn told me she was interested in keeping a Widger on the board, and I said, ‘Well, I’d love to do it.’ It just coincided with the time that Gretchen made the donation to the library from the last batch of mugs I’d given!”

Stop in to Nature’s Remedy to choose from the latest selection of Widger’s mugs and support the library! Nature’s Remedy is open daily from 10:00am-6:00pm. To learn more about the Tri-County Arts Council, including class information, visit www.tricountyartscouncil.org.