5 years ago, when I started East Fork Pottery, all I wanted was a place to make pots in the way I thought I would always make them: in a small workshop with a dirt floor, fired in a large wood-burning kiln. There was an attractive simplicity to the idea of that life. With the help of some friends, we built a large kiln, a beautiful roof over its head, a small workshop to set my wheel, and I got started right away with youthful confidence propelling me forward.
What’s in a name?
What was clear from the very beginning was that I didn't want to name it Alex Matisse Pottery. I knew that naming it East Fork would let it grow into something larger than any one individual, and although I wasn't sure how, when, or what that would look like, it felt right. When John called me up in 2013 and asked what I thought about him coming to join me, it started to make sense.
Now East Fork is in transition. We are in our teenage years, gangly and unsure of exactly how much space our new bodies are taking up in the world. Our voice is deepening, but it still lets out an awkward squawk now and then and we are starting to get noticed at the dance.
Grounded
Our worldview has been guided by a collective upbringing in Southern Pottery. Now the challenge is to take what could have only been learned here in the dirt-floored, smokey workshop of North Carolina, and share it.
Next week Connie will bring us Chapters 2 and 3 and catch us all up to speed. To herald the new Chapters we have worked with the amazing people of Fuzzco in Charelston, SC to spruce up our visual identity. Head over to the website to see the newEast Fork!
Have a wonderful weekend; I'll be driving through the night to deliver a big order to these guys.
Alex