D.K. Clay Pottery and Functional Art Pottery by Kenneth Neilsen

See Our Skilled Potters at Work!

One of the Largest Pottery Studios in North Carolina has been renovated featuring a "glass wall" through which you can view our potters at work! MONDAY (Closed: 12pm to 1pm) 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm TUESDAY THRU FRIDAY 9am to 5pm SATURDAY 10am to 4pm 919.708.5788 Be sure to visit our booths at the 2012 Sanford Pottery Festival on May 5th and 6th at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. For more details visit the Sanford Pottery Festival website by clicking the link below: WWW.SANFORDPOTTERY.ORG

POTTERY YEAR-ROUND IN SANFORD & PITTSBORO

The Potters of the 15-501 Corridor Make a Great Day Trip for Pottery Collectors.

Thousands of pottery lovers became accustomed to buying pottery at North State Stoneware on US 1 in Sanford at its intersection with Highway 78.

Many were stunned when the building was torn down and its rubble carted off in June, 2011.

Now, the rest of the story can be told:
The demise of North State Stoneware is making possible the creation in Sanford of something much bigger and even better for pottery enthusiasts.

North State Stoneware was a gallery created by D. K. Clay Pottery, one of the largest pottery studios in North Carolina, to showcase its work and that of other potters.

Since 1997, D. K. Clay has been located in a six thousand square foot brick building filled with state of the art pottery-making equipment and kilns located on Hawkins Avenue close to Historic Downtown Sanford.

Proceeds of the sale of the building and land that housed North State Stoneware are being used to transform this large space into a 1,700 square foot gallery in front with all the activities of a major pottery studio clearly visible through glass walls separating the gallery from the working studio.

“We believe that this will enhance the pottery shopping experience considerably for all of our visitors, tour groups and field trips,” said Kenneth Neilsen of D. K. Clay.

Neilsen began working with Don Hudson in 1980 to create D. K. Clay and has spent his entire adult life making pottery. Over the years, he has shared his love of making pottery with thousands of N.C. school students.

In addition to a popular functional line of high-fired stoneware in vivid glaze combinations for which D. K. Clay is known, Neilsen has created his own line, “Art Pottery by Kenneth Neilsen.”

“The concept we are developing is to showcase all of the processes used by a large and technically advanced pottery studio to shape clay,” according to Hudson. “There are very few opportunities in this state to see pottery shaped with greater mastery than watching Kenneth throw large art bowls on his wheel.”

Trey Taylor and Caleb Fulton of The Brothers Clay produce slabware pottery at D. K. Clay under the care of Hudson, their honorary grandfather.

...to read the rest of this article and to learn more about "The Potters of the 15-501 Corridor" please click the link below:

POTTERY YEAR-ROUND IN SANFORD & PITTSBORO - SANFORDPOTTERY.ORG