Beneath just a few inches of soil at Oak Hill Park & Forest lies a rare deposit of the wild clay that has shaped the celebrated pottery traditions of Western North Carolina’s Catawba Valley. This clay cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Its natural properties yield earthy, amber-colored surfaces with a modest sheen, while its remarkable strength enables potters to produce pieces much taller and more durable than those made with standard commercial clay. Sustainably, thoughtfully harvested as part of Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina’s land stewardship, this clay connects contemporary artists to a centuries-old regional tradition while honoring the landscapes from which it comes.

Many of the pots I sell could not be possible without the hard work of Kim Ellington and Matt Hallyburton in re-discovering the Legendary James Bottom Clay described by Burlon and Don Craig (Vale, NC). Through their countless hours of researching, scouting, core sampling, and digging and the help of the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, they gave a fresh breath of life to the Catawba Valley pottery tradition.

OddPotter

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