Brooklin potter selected for prestigious New York craft show
By Steele Hays
Odette Heideman, left, and friend with her pottery at Craft Feast. Photo by Steele Hays.
PINE PLAINS, New York–Since she moved full-time to Brooklin in 2017, Odette Heideman’s reputation as one of the area’s most talented potters has grown steadily. On December 13 and 14, she had the chance to share her work with a far larger audience by being one of only 50 crafts persons and artisans in the U.S. selected to participate in the nationally-recognized Craft Feast in New York’s Hudson Valley. She was the only Maine artisan participating.
Twelve hundred people attended the two-day event, paying $50 each for timed-entry tickets letting them enter Stissing House, a historic inn and restaurant in Pine Plains dating to the 1780s, the venue for the craft show.
This is the third year Craft Feast has been held. More than 1,000 crafts people applied for the 50 spots in the show.
“I was thrilled and excited,” Heideman said. “I’ve been working non-stop for the last two months to get ready for this.”
For the show, Heideman created a range of salt-fired pottery, including vases, bowls, plates, and–to pay tribute to the Stissing House’s history–two items that were in frequent use in 18th century homes: ladles and pin cushions. The pin cushions featured brightly colored pads of roving wool, each tucked into a ceramic base.
Even the inn itself created an aura of having stepped back in time. Logs were burning in the many fireplaces throughout the building, pine boughs hung from heavy timber rafters and scores of candles illuminated the low-ceilinged rooms. Each craft person had a small space to display their wares, which included ceramics, leather goods, hats, brooms, brushes, soap, jewelry, furniture, textiles, distilled beverages, calligraphy, quilts, baskets, antiques and more.
Inspired by the 18th century origins of the inn, Heideman crafted pin cushions of roving wool nestled in ceramic bases. Photo by Steele Hays.
Craft Feast entries were curated by Deborah Needleman, author and former editor of the New York Times Style Magazine.
There were a few celebrities in the crowd, both shopping and selling. Frances Palmer, an author, gardener, potter and photographer who has 125,000 followers on Instagram and is known for her skill growing, arranging and photographing flowers, was there, as was the original lifestyle influencer and entrepreneur Martha Stewart.
Stewart was actively shopping–and bargaining.
“Is this your best price on this?” she asked one craft vendor, as she held up an antique handbag.
“Yes, it is,” the craft person replied.
Martha put down the handbag and moved on.
The next opportunity for Blue Hill area residents to see–and purchase–Heideman’s pottery will likely be at the two annual 2026 Peninsula Potters Open House Tours and Sales. Those dates have not yet been announced, but the shows are usually held in late July or August and in October.
The Rising Tide highlights artistic endeavors from our community, and showcases them here in our “Create” section. If you have something you’d like to submit—a poem, a picture of a painting, a photograph, a music recording—send it to info@risingtide.media. We’d love to publish it and give you an audience for your creativity.
