More than 30 Years of Experience, and Many Pots Later…
Joe Frank McKee is a studio potter residing in the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. He enjoys participating in art festivals around the country, wholesaling pottery to galleries, and organizing the Western North Carolina Pottery Festival, a yearly event in Sylva, NC. Joe Frank creates a wide range of work, including functional wares and decorative Horsehair, Raku, and Fumed pottery.
“I have found great joy in working with clay and love that it has been my career for the past 30 years.”
A Renowned Creative
Throughout his career in pottery, Joe Frank McKee has received many honors, accolades, and compliments. Being able to teach the art of clay and run a successful pottery festival for more than 20 years, all while being a studio potter, is quite an accomplishment that has been noticed in various magazine articles and news stories. A favorite is pictured below because their words capture and summarize the remarkable artist that he is.
“I have always loved working with clay, from the beginning on the wheel to the finished work of art that it becomes.
What I have found intriguing and inspiring are the many different low-fire techniques because I believe that fire completes pottery.
I love the interaction that smoke and controlled heat can generate on the surface of a clay vessel.
It feels like the art of the unknown because low-fired pieces are unique, mysterious, and unpredictable. Each pot is a puzzle I enjoy solving to achieve the best outcome.
For me personally, the firing process makes a pot finished, and I strive to create pots that feel that way.”
From the Artist:
“I have always loved working with clay, from the beginning on the wheel to the finished work of art that it becomes.
What I have found intriguing and inspiring are the many different low-fire techniques because I believe that fire completes pottery.
I love the interaction that smoke and controlled heat can generate on the surface of a clay vessel.
It feels like the art of the unknown because low-fired pieces are unique, mysterious and unpredictable. Each pot is a puzzle I enjoy solving to achieve the best outcome.
For me personally, the firing process makes a pot finished, and I strive to create pots that feel that way.”
Pottery Like No Other
A story from a customer who purchased a pottery mug:
“In 2013 I visited the pottery shop and bought a mug of yours. Over the years it’s moved around with me as my life has progressed. For more than 10 years it was part of my day, the only vessel I used for my morning coffee or tea. I loved the handle with the ridges and divots and the signature part that looks like little buttons. Running my finger over these features was a daily ritual. In May it was sadly broken, and I’ve been looking for a great replacement but have come up empty handed. I wanted to express my appreciation for your work and tell you that it’s been irreplaceable to me. That being said…do you happen to still make something with similar handle features that could be shipped?”
The answer to that question is yes! Joe Frank still makes his signature pottery mugs, and they will be available to purhase in the near future.
