Melting Mountain Pottery sits in a mountain cove in the Walnut community near Marshall. Joey Sheehan moved to Western North Carolina for a residency program at Odyssey ClayWorks in Asheville. After the residency, Joey ran a pottery studio and shop in the River Arts District. He also founded and ran the Asheville Ceramics Gallery. During his time in Asheville, he and his wife were searching for a home where they could build the kilns and studio of their dreams. They found the spot and built their kilns and studio. Their complex includes a working pottery studio, a large two-chamber wood burning kiln, gas car kiln, and more.
Today, Joey’s pots are greatly influenced by the clay and materials that he can source from North Carolina. He makes both utilitarian and decorative ceramics with high texture and overlapping glaze techniques. Joey’s work is fired in either gas reduction or in the large wood burning kiln. Joey loves the community aspect of wood firing. Melting Mountain Pottery hosts community wood firings events several times a year.
Visitors to Melting Mountain Pottery can tour the multiple kilns as well as the studio where the pots are made. Often, they can find a large selection of pottery in the studio for viewing and purchase. On display are examples of work from multiple processes ranging in form from the humble mug and dinner plate to the centerpiece vase and museum sculpture.
Open by Appointment
