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"BRINGING THE BEST OF THE TRIANGLE TO YOUR NEXTDOOR".
Proudly serving
Now serving over 177,300 Nextdoor Neighbors
THE NORTH CAROLINA POTTERY CENTER
The nonprofit North Carolina Pottery Center is the only facility in the nation devoted solely to the pottery of a single state.
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Designed, funded, and constructed through the labors of many citizens, the center opened to the public in Seagrove, NC, in November 1998.
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​Around the village of Seagrove there are at least 57 potteries and over 100 potters, and others can be found across the state, notably in the Catawba Valley and around Asheville and Penland in the western mountains. In a typical year, the North Carolina Pottery Center receives visitors from nearly all fifty states and 20+ foreign countries, all of whom are here to explore this remarkable tradition.
The Center represents all North Carolina potters, from Native Americans and exemplars of the old utilitarian tradition to the well over 1,000 potters working throughout the state today. It is a dynamic and engaging place where people of all backgrounds, ages, and interests discover the beauty and the stories behind North Carolina’s world-class clay culture.
Visitors to the Center may enjoy the beauty of its campus and interior spaces, and can learn about ceramic artists in the local area and throughout the state. In addition to the center’s permanent historical exhibition, there are excellent temporary exhibitions and educational programming opportunities as well.
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​The Center provides a broad educational experience for students and teachers, potters, scholars, pottery collectors and tourists. It houses a permanent exhibition, which depicts the history of pottery making in North Carolina, from the earliest Native Americans to contemporary sculptural forms in clay. This includes, along with hundreds of pots, detailed models of a Native American pit firing, an early earthenware kiln, and a groundhog kiln, as well as mock-ups of a potter’s shop and a 19th-century farmhouse kitchen.
In addition, the Center sponsors two to four changing exhibitions per year, as well as a permanent display of works by local Seagrove potters. Classes and workshops give both children and adults hands-on learning experiences, and professional and hobbyist potters from across the country attend the center’s annual NC Potters Conference.
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The Center is a co-host of the annual Catawba Valley Pottery & Antiques Festival in Hickory, NC, each March.
Its Voncannon House provides living space for periodic interns vis its ongoing collaboration with East Carolina University.
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The nearly 6,000 square foot main center building contains the permanent and temporary exhibition spaces and a gift shop. Nearby is the 1,500 square foot education building, with wheels, electric kilns, and other clay-working equipment. On a hillside just below the education building are two working, wood-fired kilns: a traditional groundhog and a double catenary arch kiln.
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Please go to the North Carolina Pottery Center’s website at https://ncpotterycenter.org/ to learn about its current exhibitions and events, educational opportunities, and much more!
COMING SOON
Please visit your Regency Park Partnership home page later this year and see a most informative and comprehensive interview with the North Carolina Pottery Center where you can learn more about the humble beginnings and rich history of our North Carolina Potteries.
THE NORTH CAROLINA POTTERY CENTER
Location
233 East Avenue
PO Box 531
Seagrove, NC 27341incpotterycenter.org
336-873-8430
Hours of Operation
Tuesday–Saturday: 10 AM – 4 PM
Closed on Sundays & Mondays
and on major holidays
Cost of Admission
Adults – $2.50
Students (ages 13-18) – $1.00
Children (ages 12 & under) – FREE
NCPC members – FREE
Accessible parking available