5TH GENERATION POTTER

ABOUT ME

I am Nicole Kluba and the owner of Kluba Ceramics. I am 23 years old and live in the town of Seagrove, North Carolina. Seagrove is a small, rural town which also happens to be the pottery capital of the US. I have grown up here in Seagrove and have been exposed to pottery not only in the community, but in my family as well.

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FAMILY HISTORY

I am a 5th generation potter. My great great grandfather, Stephen Richardson, was a potter and created pottery throughout the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. 

My great grandfather, Wendell Richardson, also resided and created pottery here in Seagrove throughout the early 1900’s. 

My grandfather, Robert “Bobby” Richardson, resided and created pottery here in Seagrove as well. My Grandpa Bobby did many things over the years, however, I have the most memories of him creating and selling his own clay. He would dig up clay on our family land and bring it back to his old chicken house to transform into usable pottery clay. (Pictured below)

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My aunt and uncle, Susan and Danny Richardson own Richardson’s Pottery here in Seagrove. They began their full time pottery journey around 1989 in one of my Grandpa Bobby’s old Tabacco barns right here on the road where I currently reside and have my shop.

  • Susan & Danny Richardson selling their pottery at the NC Zoo in Asheboro.

  • An old newspaper article about Richardson's Pottery

  • My cousin, Brad Richardson, who began making face jugs in Susan and Dannys shop as a child.

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My plot of land has been passed down through my family over the generations. My property has many large holes throughout the property where my grandpa Bobby dug up many years worth of clay.

Living on the same road and creating pottery just like my ancestors is incredible. I love knowing the history of my family and I’m happy to be able to share this history with others and keep the tradition alive.

MY POTTERY JOURNEY

My love for pottery began as a child as I was exposed to it from an early age. I remember going to my Aunt Susan and Uncle Danny’s shop and messing around with clay as a hobby throughout the years. Growing up in Seagrove, I also participated in pottery classes throughout elementary and high school.

  • Some of my pottery from elementary school

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When I was in my senior year of high school, I worked part time at Cagle Road Pottery for a few months which I absolutely loved. During my time at Cagle Road Pottery, I worked with underglaze to paint designs on their pieces. (Some of the pieces I painted pictured below)

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Unfortunately after I graduated from high school, pottery was pushed to the side to pursue a career in emergency services. I worked full time in Emergency Services from ages 18 to 23. 

In the summer of 2023 at 22 years old, I began to create pottery as a hobby at home. I spent many hours teaching myself and learning how to create pottery by watching YouTube videos and gathering information from online. In the Fall of 2023, I enrolled in a pottery class at Randolph Community College. At this point, I began to really fall in love and take pottery seriously for the first time in my life. Participating in this class improved my skill greatly and I was able to learn a lot of valuable information.

In the first couple months of 2024, I invested in a kiln, a pottery wheel, and everything else I would need to begin my pottery career. I have been selling and creating pottery full time since March of 2024 and have loved every second of it so far. I look forward to carrying on my family traditions here in Seagrove for many years to come.

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