ARTIST INFO

WILLIAM BAKER
Bakersville, NC

CLAY | Wood and soda fired functional pottery

Penland Affiliation | Penland Instructor 2018, 2023, Penland Studio Assistant

Artist Information | Studio artist: education: University of Puget Sound in Washington; teaching: Penland, Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill (MA); residencies: EnergyXChange (NC), Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts (NC)

Artist Bio | William Baker is a full time studio potter living in Bakersville, North Carolina. Coming from college at the University of Puget Sound in Washington, he stumbled into clay and has been pursuing this passion for the past 17 years. He was a Resident Artist at the Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts in Asheville, North Carolina, and has both assisted and taught several classes at Penland School of Craft. William was a Resident Artist at the EnergyXChange, in Burnsville, North Carolina. Since 2013, He and his wife, also a potter, Joy Tanner, work at their studio, Wood Song Pottery in Bakersville, NC where they work full time. He spends most of his time creating pottery one piece at time on the potter’s wheel, using a wood and soda fired kiln as one of his most important tools.

William also teaches pottery classes and build kilns for other potters, he is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the Toe River Arts Council and exhibits his work in regional and national galleries. He was a recipient of a NC Regional Artists Project Grant, two Merit Awards from Toe River Arts Council exhibitions, a Best of Show Award in the Weaverville, NC, Arts in Autumn Craft Fair, and an Honorable Mention at Artisphere Arts Festival in Greenville, South Carolina. He was a founding member of the cooperative gallery, Mica | Fine Contemporary Craft in Bakersville, NC from 2010-2015.

Artist Statement | From concept to design to final firing, my process for making functional pottery requires an intimate relationship with both preparation and chance. I embrace the challenge of creating a smooth surface free of unintentional marks. This element of control is balanced by the unknowns of firing in a wood and soda kiln. People who use my pottery on a daily basis also engage intimately with the work. This final act of appreciation enhances its beauty and brings my creative process full circle.

Technical Information | In addition to his wood and soda fired pottery, William is also known for his skill with building kilns for himself and other potters around the country.