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Local potters Kirsten and Britt Smith have been creating pottery pieces since they were in high school. Now, the Pleasant Grove couple wants to showcase their art and allow other craftsmen to do the same — just in time for Christmas. The Forgotten Craftsmen Market will be held Dec. 4 in Lindon.

“My father was a ceramics professor, and Britt fell in love with me and the craft of pottery at the age of 15,” Kirsten Smith said. “It has been a part of our lives for what seems like forever.”

The Smiths, also known as “The Potterysmiths,” have been in the business for 25 years, showcasing their work with a holiday pottery sale in their Pleasant Grove home for the past 11 years.

“It was on the first Saturday of December every year. We quickly outgrew our home for this event as so many people were coming every year and we just didn’t have the space to accommodate everyone,” Kirsten said. “As we were searching for a larger venue, I slowly started thinking of inviting other artisans and craftsmen to join us to help fill the space.”

The first-ever Forgotten Craftsmen Market was supposed to be held last year, but due to COVID-19, the Smiths canceled it. “This will be our first year holding this group event, but our 12th year having our annual holiday pottery shopping event,” Kirsten said.

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“I know a lot of other artists who produce wonderful things but they didn’t have any outlet to sell them. Quite a few had never participated in events like this,” she said. “I wanted to create a selling event so we could showcase the wonderful talent of other artists in one place for a truly unique holiday shopping experience.”

While there are many boutiques and markets around during the holidays, this marketplace is different, according to the Smiths, because everything is handmade and will be sold by the artists in person. There is no buying or reselling of any goods.

“I chose to call it ‘The Forgotten Craftsmen Marketplace’ because it’s just that — the forgotten and often considered old school types of arts and crafts. Many of us in this boutique are often passed over and under-appreciated by the standard boutiques out there,” Kirsten said.

The Potterysmiths will have their handmade functional pottery at the market and a host of other local vendors will be there as well. These artisans will be selling woodworking, sewing, jewelry, leatherwork, chocolate, photography, soaps, wood poster frames, candles, body care, knives, engravings and more. The craftsmen come from a variety of different backgrounds, including a police officer, a firefighter, a National Guardsman, retirees, stay-at-home mothers and couples.

The Forgotten Craftsmen Market will be held Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Linden Nursery Big Willow Barn, 530 N. State in Lindon. More information can be found online at http://ThePotterysmiths.com or on Instagram at @the_forgotten_craftsmen_.

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