This is a 2 day/1 night trip to Piedmont NC for an immersive experience with some of the State's highly skilled potters.  We enjoy learning about a variety of styles and the rich heritage of this area that has attracted potters for generations.  From the mid-1700s to present day, the potters of this region have produced an incredible amount of both utilitarian and decorative ware.  

This trip features the studios listed below.  We overnight in nearby Asheboro offering wonderful options for locally owned restaurants for dinner on your own.  

Mark Hewitt Pottery -Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, Mark is the son and grandson of directors of Spode, the fine china manufacturers.  Mark is known for distinctive functional pots, specializing in very large planters and jars, along with finely made smaller items. He uses local clays and blends the different North Carolinian folk traditions together into a contemporary style that has attracted a sizeable following.

Jugtown Pottery - This is a working pottery, an American Craft Shop and Museum.  Present day  potters demonstrate the love of craft and form handed down from the Jugtown founders with a selection of forms derived from simplicity, a complimentary glaze and occasional decoration. Drawing from the North Carolina tradition, we find pottery in wood fired Salt Glaze and Frogskin, and tablewares in green, blue, brown and gray. Vases, bowls and jars in glazes made with wood ash, local clays, copper reds, greens and iron earth tones, have origins in world clay traditions.

The Triangle Pottery Studio - New on the pottery scene in Seagrove, we meet Kaye Waltman.  Kate opened her pottery studio 2010. Kaye's pots are made with local materials, boldly carved with organic patterns inspired by Art Deco design, and fired in a large wood-burning kiln. Kate shows her pots internationally and has lectured and taught throughout the USA.

Ben Owen Pottery -  Ben Owen III studied pottery as a young apprentice first with his grandfather in the late 1970s-1980s and later at East Carolina University (1989-1993). Like his grandfather, Ben creates pottery that reflects a foundation in traditional early american designs, and incorporates influences from Asia, Europe, and Persia.  Ben has participated in workshops and conferences throughout the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and recently in China. His work can be found in many museums nationwide, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Smithsonian Museum of Art. Ben’s commissions grace the lobby of the Ritz Carlton Tokyo Hotel in Japan and The Umstead Hotel and Spa in NC. Singer/songwriter James Taylor and golfer Arnold Palmer are among the notables whose collections include works by Ben Owen III.

Eck McCanless Pottery - Eck McCanless is a second generation potter and musician/songwriter born in Seagrove.  His Agateware takes you on a journey that conveys how clay travels through every piece of pottery that’s made on the potter’s wheel. Eck's work is made by turning multiple colors of clay on the wheel to create a colorful spiral. He then carves his pots to create beautiful patterns and reveal a cross section of what’s happening inside the walls of the pots. 

Bulldog Pottery - This is a collaborative artist studio.  Bruce Gholson and wife, Samantha Henneke strive to make Functional and Decorative Art, Research Creative Processes and Experiment with Materials.  They enjoy sharing an ever ending exploration of ideas, techniques, clays and glaze formulations.  

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Once final payments have been made on the charter bus and hotel (30 days prior to the trip) refunds can only be made if the participant or trip organizer can resell the trip to another passenger.