working artists
Sarah Culbreth
I fell in love the first time I saw pottery being made on the potter’s wheel. This happened when I was 18 and got a job at Berea College’s Ceramic Apprenticeship Program.
Every student going to Berea College has to work, so instead of serving food at Boone Tavern, I got a job at the pottery. I had no idea how hard it is/was to “throw” a pot, much less be in a business selling the work of my hands. All I wanted to do was make my own dinnerware. Now I do dinnerware as a speciality.
I have always tied education to the sale of my finished pottery. I figured that people would appreciate the price of my work if they recognized how hard it is to do what it entails.
For 35 years visitors have viewed clay spinning around on our potter’s wheel, while I gave an explanation of the process. I still love “throwing” pottery and having the public get excited by watching.
I keep my prices reasonable so everyone can afford a real piece of earth, turned into a thing of beauty to eat and drink from, that will last a very long time (unless you drop it on concrete!).
I still love what I do, and I hope to teach others the skill of my heart and hands.
