Pittsboro’s W.M. Hewitt Pottery Studio is famous for its functional, wood-fired pottery that uses local North Carolina stoneware clays.
Mark Hewitt was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England. He is the son and grandson of directors of Spode, the fine china manufacturers. As a student at Bristol University in the early 1970’s, Mark read Bernard Leach’s “A Potter’s Book” and decided to become a studio potter. This led to a three-year apprenticeship with Michael Cardew, and later another with Todd Piker in Connecticut, where Mark met his wife, Carol.
In 1983 they moved to Pittsboro and set up their pottery. Mark built a very large wood kiln and began making the distinctive functional pots, specializing in large planters and jars, along with finely made smaller items. He uses local clays and blends different North Carolinian folk traditions together into a contemporary style. His work has been featured in Smithsonian magazine and on the cover of American Craft magazine. Mark has written extensively in the ceramic press and has exhibited in London, New York and Tokyo, as well as throughout the US. He is well-represented in museum and private collections.
Location
424 Johnny Burke Rd.
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Hours
By appointment and during Kiln Openings
Online shopping (and shipping!) now available, too. Check the “shop” link at the website above.
Phone
919-542-2371
Email
hewitts@hewittpottery.com
