Anyone who has visited a pottery studio in the Seagrove Area of North Carolina has learned some basic lessons about handmade pottery. They have learned that making pottery is much more complicated than one might think. It requires years of practice, honing skills on the potter's wheel as well as gaining knowledge of clays, glazes and firing techniques. They have also learned that handmade pottery is beautiful, and seductive. Whether utilitarian or decorative, the pieces that come from the hands of the potter enrich the daily lives of those who take them into their homes, and often lead to a life-long love affair with handmade objects. The potters of the Seagrove Area are a hardworking, dedicated and quirky bunch. The community has a rich, unbroken history of pottery making that spans over two hundred years. These traditions have blended with the art of the many newer potters drawn to this special community during the past twenty years, creating a wide variety of pottery styles with something to please any taste. The potters themselves come from far and wide, and their training draws on influences from around the globe. They share a camaraderie defined by this very diversity. The potters educate and inspire one another, help one another fire massive kilns, lend glaze ingredients, provide assistance to one of their own in need, and support the greater community by donating their time, talents and artwork to many charitable organizations. A visit to the Seagrove Area potteries gives visitors an experience no gallery can provide, which is a chance to visit with the artists in their own studios. It doesn't take much encouragement to get them talking about their work, and their passion for clay is evident. It is not unusual to find third-generation pottery customers wandering the country roads on any given day, visiting potters that have become old friends as well as checking out new shops that have opened since their last visit. The slow pace of rural life and the quiet of the countryside are a balm for city dwellers, who return time and again. When you come, be sure to wear a pair of comfortable shoes. If you like, bring a picnic and help yourself to picnic tables available at many shops. Find yourself wandering back in time to a place where neighbors are friendly, families work together, and people still make things by hand, from the earth, that will last into the future. Potters who grew up in NC pottery families, locals inspired by NC pottery traditions who learned their trade at Seagrove area community colleges, and potters from elsewhere attracted by the Seagrove pottery community run the nearly one hundred Seagrove area pottery shops. There are a few pottery shops in the town of Seagrove, which is also the home of the NC Pottery Center, but many more potteries are located in the surrounding rural area. Several potteries are located along NC Hwy 705 or its side roads, prompting the state to designate Hwy 705 as the official "NC Pottery Highway". Although the majority of the potteries in the Seagrove Area Potters Association have a mailing address of "Seagrove", many are actually located in Northwestern Moore County, more widely known for the famous Pinehurst and Southern Pines area golf resorts.   This article provided courtesy of the Seagrove Area Potters Association, Inc., which is dedicated to promoting and marketing the historical, geographical pottery community that works and resides in a corner of the Randolph, Moore, and Montgomery counties of North Carolina. This small "Seagrove area" of central NC has been home to many potters since the late 1700s.  Click here to view a map of the area with the location of the member potteries.