With a new and much larger production facility, online sales, and two retail stores, East Fork owners Connie and Alex Matisse and John Vigeland (right) are taking their brand to the masses.
The Early Days - East Fork Pottery was born in 2009 on a 30-acre tobacco farm on the east fork of Bull Creek in Madison County.
It was a three-month process for one person to hand-produce and fire some 1,500 pieces in the massive wood-burning kiln Alex built.
The Old Ways Before hitting on the simplistic signature dinnerware East Fork is known for today, Alex was producing more ornate functional pieces that were also highly collected.
A pug mill that mixes the clay and jigger jolly machines and RAM presses that shape it.
Though the increase in output required a departure from hand-throwing on a wheel, each piece produced still goes through many hands with the aid of modern machinery.
At the factory, 10,500 square feet is devoted to production.
Glazing in muted matte colors happens before a final firing in one of two giant gas kilns.
Table Service - Plates, bowls, mugs, and vases come in an array of tasteful matte colors that change each season. In their stores, East Fork also sells other handmade home goods.
East Fork hosts a monthly supper series that pairs paying guests with a community leader over conversation on topics such as design, immigration, gender, and wellness.
