Top 5 Pottery Makers in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

The Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community — an eight-mile loop of studios east of Gatlinburg — is home to some of the strongest working pottery studios in the region. These five are worth a dedicated stop, whether you're buying or just watching the wheel.

Old Mill Pigeon River Pottery — Pigeon Forge

Old Mill Pigeon River Pottery is part of the larger Old Mill Square complex in Historic Old Mill Pigeon Forge — a working craft hub centered around the 1830 grist mill that still grinds corn on the Little Pigeon River. The pottery studio produces functional and decorative stoneware in the American craft tradition: mixing bowls, baking dishes, mugs, pitchers, and serving pieces that balance practical kitchen use with the kind of handmade quality you don't find in mass-produced dinnerware. The studio works are sold alongside products from the mill — stone-ground cornmeal, grits, whole wheat flour — which gives Old Mill Square a cohesive character that rewards a longer visit than a single studio stop. The pottery is a natural souvenir purchase from a location that genuinely represents the region's craft and agricultural history.

Alewine Pottery — Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community

Alewine Pottery is one of the most beloved destinations in the entire Arts & Crafts Community — a family-run studio that Robert Alewine has operated for more than 30 years, now spanning into its third generation of family artisans. The signature maple leaf design appears throughout the collection in dozens of forms: mugs, honey pots, bacon cookers, coasters, luminaries, candles, and bakeware. Visitors are welcome to watch pottery being thrown and finished on-site. The studio experience goes beyond browsing — live bluegrass music plays in the background, rocking chairs on the deck invite lingering, and complimentary popcorn, coffee, and apples are offered to visitors. It's the kind of studio that turns a brief stop into a 45-minute visit without anyone noticing the time passing. Alewine Pottery also ships and offers an online catalog for visitors who want to order after they return home.

Buie Pottery — Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community

Buie Pottery has been a fixture at the entrance to the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community since 1986 — Mary Buie has spent four decades producing colorful, functional handcrafted stoneware that collectors return to year after year. The studio's range covers oil-burning lights, bathroom accessories, candle holders, baking and service ware, kitchen accessories, dinnerware, beverage ware, and salad sets — all made on the premises and entirely functional. Each piece is dishwasher, microwave, and oven-safe, which distinguishes Buie's work from purely decorative studio pottery. Visitors can watch the creation process from the studio floor. Open Monday through Saturday 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM and Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM, with shorter winter hours. Buie also ships anywhere in the continental US for visitors who find what they want and need it delivered.

Judy Jones Pottery — Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community

Judy Jones Pottery in the Arts & Crafts Community is a studio known for expressive, colorful glazework — pieces that use layered and flowing glaze techniques to produce surfaces that vary from piece to piece in ways that make each one genuinely one-of-a-kind. The mugs, bowls, and vases from Judy Jones Pottery have a distinct visual personality that differs from the more restrained functional aesthetic of other Arts & Crafts Community studios. Visitors can typically watch work being produced in the studio. The pottery is well-suited for visitors looking for a distinctive souvenir with a strong artistic character rather than a purely functional piece.

Fowler's Clay Works — Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community

Fowler's Clay Works is the newest studio on this list — Mike and Connie Fowler opened in 2015 — and the one most worth visiting if you want to do more than watch. Fowler's offers wheel-throwing classes where participants learn to throw on the pottery wheel, create their own mug, choose their glaze, and then receive the finished piece shipped to their home after it's been fired. The class format makes it a hands-on activity rather than a passive shopping stop — a genuinely memorable vacation experience for visitors of almost any skill level. The studio's production line covers mugs, baking dishes, bowls, pitchers, and vases, all shaped and glazed by hand and available for purchase.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Arts & Crafts Community?

The Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community is located on an eight-mile loop east of downtown Gatlinburg — accessible via East Parkway (US-321) starting at Traffic Light 3A. The loop includes Glades Road and Buckhorn Road and encompasses more than 100 studios, galleries, and shops. The Gatlinburg Trolley's Yellow Route runs the full loop and connects it to downtown Gatlinburg at no charge.

Can I take a pottery class in Gatlinburg?

Yes — Fowler's Clay Works in the Arts & Crafts Community offers wheel-throwing classes for visitors. Participants make their own mug, choose a glaze, and have the finished piece shipped to them after firing. Check directly with Fowler's Clay Works for current class schedules and availability.