Page 68 - CulturalAdventures3 final

Born in Bangor, April grew up in the Portland area and studied fine art
at the Portland School of Art, now called the Maine College of Art,
discovering pottery in 1970, her senior year. “I loved it!” she says,
adding that she saw a career path there. At the time, there were only
a half dozen established potters in the state of Maine, but the ‘70s
saw a major uptick of interest in all things handcrafted.

April married a fellow potter and moved to rural Limington, some 30
miles west of Portland. They bought an antique cape off the grid
surrounded by pine woods, and lived the self-sufficient young artists’
life.

Things changed. Her husband left. April joined the Maine Potters
Market Co-op in Portland’s Old Port, learning to run a shop. Then the
‘80s real-estate boom hit Limington. Her house was on a dead-end
road but a nearby 50-acre development was rumored to be in the works.
She sold her home and studio.

“I knew that I wanted to be on the coast and near Route 1 so I kept
coming north until I could afford the real estate,” April says. In the
village of Columbia Falls, just off Route 1, she found not only a
house but also a classic Victorian former general store. It is located
Above: Columbia Falls Pottery’s Pine Cone pattern next to the Ruggles House, a Federal-style mansion built in 1818
with a flying staircase and superb woodwork. This architectural gem
is regularly open for tours and attracts visitors from throughout the
country.

Over the next 28 years, Columbia Falls Pottery flourished, and became a favorite stop for Washington County residents and visitors alike.

Love intervened. April took a tai chi class from Dana McEacharn and in due time they married, which she describes as “the best thing
that ever happened to me. “Now we work as a team,” she says. “He is better at building the flat pieces. But I still do all the painting.”

The one sticking point: Dana, a Machias native, didn’t want to move 18 miles down Route 1. Columbia Falls Pottery moved to
Machias.

“It’s slow around here in winter,” April says. People tend to come in only for special occasion gifts, but in summer many people from
away stop into the shop. They come from all walks of life and she loves to hear their opinions about the area and about her work. “I’m
a careful listener,” she says.
Talking with April and seeing her work in person gives patrons something special they can’t buy on the internet. Back at home, in
cities and towns throughout the country, that lupine painted sugar bowl and mug still evoke the warm smile of the person who created
it. Pottery is “a conversation between friends” April says.

Columbia Falls Pottery is located at 4 Main St., Machias. It is open
Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. in season and by chance
or appointment off season. (207) 255-2716, and be sure to check out
their website at www.columbiafallspottery.com.

Above: Sardine Packer by Dana McEacharn

Right: Columbia Falls Pottery’s Fern pattern
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