West Cornwall Scenery, Shopping & More

There are many reasons to visit the bucolic village of West Cornwall.  The West Cornwall Covered Bridge is a wooden lattice truss bridge built around 1864 that spans the Housatonic River.  This is one of two bridges that can actually be crossed by auto traffic.  Many visitors to West Cornwall take photos of this iconic covered bridge.

In the heart of the village there are several interesting shops to explore.  Cornwall Bridge Pottery http://www.cbpots.com owned by Todd Piker, one of the country's most prolific potters produces high quality wood fired pots for everyday use.  In his shop you will find lamps, planters, mugs, plates, bowls and much more.  In addition to pottery, you will also find an official Shaker Furniture Room.

If you are a book lover, don't miss Barbara Farnsworth Bookseller http://www.farnsworthbooks.com.  This shop is located in an old masonic hall and has over 45,000 books !  There are large selections in literature, biography, poetry, diaries and letters, art, architecture, photography, fashion and costume, natural history, cookbooks, children's books, and many other categories.

The Wish House is a gorgeous shop that offers a wide array of gift items and clothes.  The gallery at the Wish House exhibits the artwork of local artists and hosts author events.  The West Cornwall Farmers Market is also held here on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through October.

On Saturday, August 10 from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m., The Wish House is hosting a book signing with Cornwall Author and Illustrator Valorie Fisher and her new children's book I CAN DO IT MYSELF to benefit the Cornwall Child Center.  This beautifully illustrated book is the ideal all-in-one concept book for children, teaching them how to tie their shoes, brush their teeth, and much more. Award-winning author-illustrator Fisher uses bright, gorgeous photos to illustrate these topics in a completely fresh way, which is sure to delight parents and their children who are newly reveling in the joy of independence.

Famous Native American Potter at the Institute for American Indian Studies

The contemporary pottery of Melvin C. Cornshucker of Cherokee descent is being featured in the Litchfield Hills at the Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Rd. in Washington CT through the month of March.  Cornshucker is an award winning Cherokee potter, who works in stoneware, porcelain and raku clay. 

Mel's work can be found in collections across the United States, Europe, and Africa, and he has been invited to exhibit at museums in Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, California, Kansas and now Connecticut. Mel also participates in annual juried shows and exhibitions including the Santa Fe Indian Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Eiteljorg Indian Market in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Art Show in Phoenix, Arizona, the Contemporary Indian Art Show at Cahokia, Illinois, and many other notable venues.

His work is widely sought in international collections as well as in the United States. His work has been exhibited and sold all over the world from Santa Fe, Arizona to South Africa.

Mel's work is noted for being unique, functional, and aesthetic art pieces that are decorated primarily with Native American motifs.  His signature designs are influenced by the generations of jewelers and weavers in his family. Mel strives to make his stoneware, porcelain and raku clay pieces visually pleasing and functional. It is his desire to create pieces that communicate the Native American spirit both past and present. 

Mel, born in Oklahoma but raised in Missouri, comes from an artistic family. His father was a silversmith, his grandfather a rug weaver and his aunts are basket weavers. While attending law school at Southwest Baptist University, he became interested in a ceramics class. After completing the class, he left school to pursue his new passion of pottery making. Within a few years, he became a master potter. Mel owns and operates a studio in Tulsa,

Oklahoma where he sells his work and teaches the art of pottery.

This Exhibition is in the "Four Directions" Gift Shop of the Institute for American Indian Studies and runs through March 31, 2014. There is no charge for this exhibition.  The museum is open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm Sunday 12 Noon to 5 pm and the last admission 4:30 pm. For more information http://www.iaismuseum.org. For information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com