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.

Hart Square Village is a 200-acre living-history site in Vale, North Carolina and is home to the largest collection of historic 18th and 19th-century log structures in the United States. Its mission is twofold: to preserve these pioneer-era cabins and buildings, and to keep alive the traditional crafts, trades, and cultural practices of the region. Among the many buildings is a working “groundhog kiln”, a traditional, semi-subterranean kiln design historically central to Catawba Valley Pottery. The groundhog kiln at Hart Square was built by Kim Ellington and is one of the last groundhog kilns that is regularly fired.

Each spring and fall, during their heritage festivals, Hart Square welcomes potters and artisans whose work is fired in that very kiln, a living bridge between historic tradition and contemporary craft-work. Many of the Odd Pots I create are fired in Hart Square’s groundhog kiln; just look for the Hart Square heart symbol.

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