A Road Trip With Good Glaze
Some road trips are measured in miles. This one is better measured in mugs, bowls and how much trunk space remains after somebody spots a vase they absolutely need.
Late summer is a fine time to follow Alabama’s pottery scene from Huntsville to Fairhope, trading the usual roadside attractions for community studios, working potters and a chance to discover exactly how difficult it is to make a symmetrical bowl.
From Huntsville to Homewood
Start at Sullivan Pottery in Huntsville, North Alabama’s oldest and largest community pottery studio. The 8,000-square-foot space welcomes everyone from first-timers to experienced potters with classes, workshops and memberships. This August, its schedule includes one-time wheel-throwing classes and Friday night pottery dates, giving curious beginners an easy excuse to get their hands dirty.
For a lower-commitment creative detour, head to Bisque by The Vessel at Stovehouse. Walk-ins choose a ready-made bisque piece, select their glazes and paint at their own pace. The studio handles the firing afterward, with finished pieces typically ready for pickup in about seven days.
Next, point the car toward Homewood, where Red Dot Gallery has been part of Birmingham’s creative landscape since 2004. Artist-owners Scott Bennett and Dori DeCamillis combine gallery space with instruction, including adult pottery classes open to beginners and experienced artists alike.
Clay Country Heads South
The route gets especially interesting near Fairhope. Tom Jones Pottery in Clay City is the working studio of a potter marking 50 years there. Jones makes one-of-a-kind pieces in his studio, and a visit offers the increasingly rare pleasure of buying something close to where it was made. Call before making the drive, since studio hours can vary.
Finish at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope, home to five galleries and four teaching studios. Its connection to ceramics runs deeper than the current class calendar: the center stands on the former site of Pinewood Pottery Studio, which once produced functional ceramics from local clay. Today, pottery remains part of its classes and workshops, including several ceramics courses offered this summer.
That history gives this road trip its backbone. Alabama pottery is still something you can see being made, learn to make yourself and carry home in the passenger seat, preferably wrapped in a towel.
Want to find more art all around you? Check out https://www.guidetoalabama.com/art-galleries