The Potter

Kimberly Gray has been making pottery for more than 18 years. Born and raised near Annapolis Maryland, she was first introduced to pottery in a high school ceramics class in 1989. “From the moment I felt the clay glide through my hands on the potters wheel, I fell in love with the mystery and endless challenge of clay.”

After continuing to take pottery classes throughout high school, she moved to the mountains of North Carolina where she attended Western Carolina University. Majoring in Ceramic Arts, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education in 1997.

Shortly after graduation, she established Mud Puppies Pottery and became a full-time studio potter, as well as a pottery instructor at a local college in Asheville. After 6 years of teaching, it was time to devote all of her attention to the growing business.

Presently, Kimberly lives and works in Sylva, North Carolina with her husband, Josh, their son, Jacob, and daughter, Aubrey.  Her studio is located on the property of “the old home place” built by her grandfather in the 1920s. Here, the sounds of a rushing creek and the beautiful surrounding Smoky Mountains serve as her inspiration.