
Mud Dabbers Pottery & Crafts occupies a bright red building alongside the Great Smoky Mountain Expressway near Waynesville. Owner Brad Dodson took advantage of coming from a family of potters. His parents, John and Sybil Dodson, started the family pottery business in the 1970s. Brad studied clay at Haywood Community College and has had his hands in mud ever since.
Mud Dabbers is a working studio as well as a retail shop full of functional and decorative pottery created using high fired, low fired, Raku, and wood firing methods. Mark Karner joined the Mud Dabbers family in 2014 and brings his talents and passion for wheel-thrown forms. Brad fills the shop—and yard—with delightful whimsy, mischievous gnomes, expressive sun masks, mushrooms, traditional bowls, mugs, bacon cookers, and more.
The artists at Mud Dabbers enjoy explaining the process of making pottery and will often share their thoughts about what they are working on. Visitors can learn more about the process and browse through a wide variety of pieces. A hallmark of Mud Dabbers is experimentation, so the pottery on hand could vary greatly from one visit to the next.
The shop is open year-round with multiple rooms and a gallery space inside, and plenty of garden pottery and shade trees outside.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 am-6 pm, closed Sundays in January and February