Holiday Kiln Opening 2022
Saturday, December 3: 9am-5pm
Sunday, December 4: 12-5pm
New 2021 Holiday Kiln Opening post card:
Spring Kiln Opening 2021:
Saturday, June 5: 9am-5pm
Sunday, June 6: 12-5pm
Holiday Kiln Opening 2020:
December 5th: 9am - 5pm
December 6th: 12pm - 5pm
COVID info: We would like everyone to feel safe during our sale, therefore we ask that everyone in attendence wear a mask which covers your nose and mouth and observe the State's social distancing guidelines. Weather permitting, we will have as much of the pottery outside as we reasonably can. We will have plenty of hand sanitizer available. If you would like to visit the pottery in a less crowded atmosphere, we welcome appointments after the sale weekend.
COVID-19 Protocol for Spring Kiln Opening
Thank you for your continued support of Jones Pottery. In accordance with Governor Cooper’s Phase 2 Orders and our commitment to our customers’ safety and comfort, we will adhere to the following protocol during our kiln opening:
1) Wear a mask or face covering over your mouth and nose. This is for your own safety and to make people who may feel more vulnerable than you do feel secure as they shop.
2) Maintain a respectful distance from other shoppers. We are uncertain what kind of turnout we might get but plan to have as much inventory outside as weather will permit. In case of bad weather we will limit the number of people shopping in the gallery space in accordance with state and county guidelines.
3) Those arriving early on Saturday morning will be greeted by someone down on the road. Our greeter will assist with parking and crowd management, if necessary.
4) We encourage anyone who would like to shop alone to make appointments for Monday and Tuesday after the Kiln Opening. Many people think that all the good pots are gone by then, but we absolutely always have some great quality pots left after the weekend, and that may be more true than usual considering the circumstances.
5) Following our kiln opening, it is possible that we will create an online shopping platform so that people who were unable to attend may still view and purchase our pots. Please check back a couple of weeks after the kiln opening if this is of interest to you.
Spring Kiln Opening 2020
Saturday, June 13: 9am - 5pm
Saturday, June 14: 12pm - 5pm
Although it is difficult to plan during these uncertain times, we must move forward with a cautious optimism and a willingness to make adjustments as necessary. With that in mind, we are planning our Spring Kiln Opening and pottery sale for the second weekend in June.
It seems likely that some of the social distancing and non-essential business restrictions will moderate somewhat over the next month. And although we need to stay afloat as a business, we want you to know that we take your safety very seriously and will comply with all state and county regulations and guidelines, whatever they may be.
We may move more of the pots outdoors on Saturday morning to avoid crowding our space. We don't have it all figured out yet, but we are thinking about it carefully. If you have helpful thoughts or strategies that you would like to share, please feel free to do so.
If for some reason it becomes unsafe to hold a Kiln Opening, we will be creating an online shopping platform. However, we sincerely hope to see you in June.
Matt and Christine Jones
Spring Kiln Opening 2019:
please join us for our kiln opening in Big Sandy Mush
Saturday, June 1: 9AM - 5PM and
Sunday, June 2: 12PM - 5PM
Holiday Kiln Opening 2018:
Where has the time gone?
I am baffled that 20 years have passed since our first kiln opening here in Sandy Mush, Leicester, NC!
December 1st: 9am - 5pm
December 2nd: 12pm - 5pm
Spring Kiln Opening 2018:
June 2nd: 9am - 5pm
June 3rd: 12pm - 5pm
Hope you can join us!
Spring Kiln Opening 2016:
June 4th: 9am to 5pm
June 5th: 12pm to 5pm
Hope you can make it!
Holiday Kiln Opening 2015
Spring Kiln Opening 2015
We hope you can join us!
Holiday Kiln Opening 2014
Saturday December 6, 9am - 5pm
Sunday, December 7, 12pm - 5pm
please join us for our weekend open house and pottery sale.
The Book is Finished!
Over a year in the making, I am pleased to announce that the book is finally ready for sale. This book began with a fundraising campaign to establish a budget of what I could spend for photography, editing, layout and design help and of course printing. I was able to produce a book of 72 pages with almost as many photographs and have printed 250 copies. Of that number I have sent out copies to all of the contributors and set aside copies for family and friends, leaving me with 150 to sell.
What's in the book? What's it all about?
Great Question. The book is made up of five essays covering a variety of themes, but its primary focus is to proclaim that potting has endured thus far and is likely to persist even into an unknowable future. My purpose in writing these essays is to counter the rather bleak outlook of academics and critics who suggest that pottery is over or somehow irrelevant in the twenty-first century. There is also an essay about clay itself and another about the curious history of face jugs in the Carolinas and North Georgia. There are several excellent black and white photo essays (photographed by the talented Naomi Johnson) covering my process of making, from mixing clay to turning large pots using a coil and throw method, and decorating and loading and firing the kiln. And of course there are color photographs (by Tim Barnwell) throughout which feature finished work.
Sounds wonderful, but where can I purchase a copy?
Another great question. Due to the realtively small number of copies, I will handle all the sales myself. They will of course be available at my Kiln Openings and at shows I attend, but I will also process orders for online customers. If you would like to purchase a copy, you can call me with a credit card and shipping address or send me a check in the mail. The book is reasonably priced at $25, and shipping and handling is $5, so for customers outside NC, the cost is $30.00. For NC customers I must charge tax, bringing the cost to $31.75.
For credit card sales call: (828) 683-2705 If you reach my answering machine leave your phone number so I can call you back. Conduct business with my wife or me, but not my children (even though they sound very mature)
If you want to send a check made out to Jones Pottery along with the address where you would like the book sent, send it to:
Jones Pottery
209 Big Sandy Mush Rd.
Leicester, NC 28748
Summer 2013
At The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville
