Barking Spider Pottery

Artist Statement

Jon Ellenbogen and Rebecca Plummer make stoneware pottery intended for daily use in the home. From dinnerware to centerpieces to bathroom and wetbar sinks, their attractive, durable, handmade objects add a unique personal touch to any decor. Numerous glaze colors are available and each item can be customized for a particular client. Their sinks and basins require no special plumbing and are easy to install, while embodying the highest standards in craftsmanship and design.

Their Christmas ornaments and decorated eggs are a departure from their traditional stoneware. These are available in a glossy snow white color featuring bright reds, blues, purples and greens, with silver and gold accents. Because they are handmade, no two are alike, and all are very lightweight for hanging on a tree. For many families these ornaments have become cherished family heirlooms that will be passed on for generations.

Artist Bio

Rebecca and Jon have been working together as Barking Spider Pottery for over thirty-five years. Their passive solar studio and home is built above the Toe River in the mountains of Western North Carolina. They have twin twenty-three-year-old sons Alexander and Christopher.

Rebecca was born in 1951 in West Chester, PA. She holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and has taken classes at West Chester State, Alfred University, and Penland School of Crafts. Together with Jon she has exhibited in numerous local and national shows.

Jon was born in 1941 in Brooklyn, NY. He was trained as an engineer at The Cooper Union and holds a PhD from Columbia University. After working on the anti-ballistic missile project at Bell Laboratories and teaching engineering at the University of Puerto Rico, he took a ceramics class at Penland School of Crafts, where he met Rebecca. He’s been a potter ever since.

Schedule

2010 Schedule
February 11 - Jon is presenting a workshop at Mayland Community College called 
"The Business Side of an Artist's Life." No charge but registration is required.

June 11-13 - Toe River Arts Council Spring Studio Tour. Open studios in Mitchell & Yancey Counties

June 25-26 - HandMade in America presents The Western North Carolina Craft, Architecture & Design Expo at the North Carolina ArboretumA two-day event inviting the public to join artists, architects, builders and designers to share and learn about successful collaborations between craft artists, homeowners and industry professionals. Drawing from the tremendous craft resources that are a unique and vital part of Western North Carolina, the event will emphasize craftsmanship in architectural elements and design for both high-end and mid-range home markets. Not to be missed!

October 9-10 - Spruce Pine Potters Market. An annual invitational show of 30 of the area's best potters, held in downtown Spruce Pine.

October 21-24 - Crafts Fair of the Southern Highlands Crafts Guild, October Edition

December 3-5 - Toe River Arts Council Christmas Studio Tour. Open studios in Mitchell & Yancey Counties.

For more information about these events please call or email.

Our studio and gallery are open every day from 9-5 pm.
Visitors are welcome year round.
Please call or email for a map and directions.

Contact

Send an e-mail to Barking Spider Pottery

Barking Spider Pottery
1446 Conley Ridge Road
PO Box 50
Penland NC 28765

828 765-2690
toll-free 888 765-2670
fax 828 765-2670

Website

Please click here to visit our website for much more information.
barkingspiderpottery.com

Gallery