0299-GCG-FoothillsConservancy ESG24-FINALb (1) - Flipbook - Page 28
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina
Kim Ellington, now in his 60s, studied under the
largest collection of restored nineteenth-century log
Craig before establishing his own studio. Craig not
traditional arts and crafts.
tutelage of legendary Catawba Valley potter Burlon
only imparted traditional ceramic techniques but also
shared with Ellington his well-guarded maps of the
area’s richest known clay deposits.
He believes Craig may have even dug from this same
spot back in the 1960s. Each deposit bears unique
mineral markers and elemental combinations that a
trained potter can discern with mystifying precision.
“I can tell whether a pot came from the Catawba Valley
area,” Ellington says. “I can tell what came from the
Seagrove area. The characteristics of the clay speak to
you. The clay that you get here is not going to be the
same type you get in South Carolina or Virginia.”
This rich vein of Catawba Valley clay at Oak Hill Park
is buried beneath a few inches of topsoil, and its
presence isn’t ideal for farming purposes. Hallyburton
and Ellington understood this and believed they had
a solution that would appeal to all parties involved,
including FCNC, which intends to use the land for its
community agricultural program.
After harvesting a strip of clay adequate to supply both
the potters’ needs for years to come, they plan to 昀椀ll it
back in with soil much more suitable for agriculture.
“Clay is poorly equipped to drain water,” Hallyburton
explains. “Nothing grows in it either. It’s not good for
agricultural land, and it’s great for our needs. So I think
it’s a win-win if we can get it out with minimal impact
on the land. Currently, the stuff we’re looking at is not
being farmed. This is a one-and-done thing.”
In addition to supplying their studio needs, both
potters are interested in leveraging the clay deposit
to further educate locals about Catawba Valley
pottery and to preserve the region’s tradition for
future generations. They hope to do this in partnership
with FCNC and other educational sites, such as Hart
Square Village in Catawba County, which boasts the
26
cabins in the United States and focuses on preserving
FCNC is thrilled to collaborate.
“We are excited to be a part of this project to keep
this culturally important tradition alive in our region,”
Sparks says. “It is such a unique opportunity with the
convergence of art and craft, history, conservation,
and natural resource management. It really opens
up a whole new avenue of outreach and education
that is not typically associated with trails and
outdoor recreation.”
Both potters want the public to understand what is at
stake and to appreciate the incredible signi昀椀cance of
its regional ceramic culture.
“It’s in a very unique situation in the pottery world,”
explains Ellington. “The pottery that’s been made in
this area is recognized by ceramicists all over the
world. It can be compared to some of the strongest
pottery traditions across the globe.”
Some twenty years Ellington’s junior, Hallyburton is
quick to remind locals of the region’s cultural treasure:
“Catawba Valley pottery is one of the only existing
American stoneware traditions that’s still going on
today. That’s why it’s worth talking about.”
This partnership with FCNC is helping to keep the
art alive. When asked how many are continuing this
tradition today, a smile steals across both of their
faces. “The bulk of them are sitting at this table,”
Hallyburton laughs.
Ellington expects to retire in the next decade, while
Hallyburton currently instructs several young potters
whom he believes will carry Catawba Valley pottery
far into the future. The clay deposit under the land at
Oak Hill Community Park and Forest makes that even
more possible.
