Art is a thing of beauty and at Fowler’s Clay Works in Gatlinburg, Tennessee the beauty can come to life and be functional. When you are looking for a great place to check out with the entire family and you are about to find a treat here. Make sure you stop by and check out all that you can at Fowler’s Clay Works to see what they produce in shop, but also to check out some of the pottery experiences to make your own pieces. Read on to learn more about Fowler’s Clay Works.
Location Of Fowler’s Clay Works
Knowing where the attraction is located is half of the battle. Well that half of the battle will be solved here for you as we are going to give you the address and phone number of the place. This way you can easily locate the attraction on your map and reach Fowler’s Clay Works in time for your pottery class or just to browse the selection of items.
1402 East Parkway Suite 12
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Features Of Fowler’s Clay Works
- Shop offers handmade pottery.
- All pieces are fully functional or decorative.
- Offers, depending on COVID restrictions, a pottery experience for visitors.
What Is For Sale At The Shop
As you can imagine this is a pottery shop. However, unlike some of the shops that I have been to outside of the Gatlinburg area, everything here is handmade. This does limit the selection and quantity of some of the pieces, but does add to the quality.
What you can buy really expands to more along what you can imagine. One of the main things that you can buy from Fowler’s Clay Works is the cups or mugs and jugs that are made from pottery. I know you may think that you can go to your local Walmart and buy the same thing, but I dare you to buy one of those from Walmart and bring it back here and compare the quality. Fowler’s products would easily win hands down over the mass produced items.
An item that you may not find here would be statutes. Yes, they are talented enough to make these, but the price would most likely be prohibitive for what you would want to pay. Not only that like any successful business, the owners try to stick to what they know sells and will sell on a regular basis.
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How Expensive Is Fowler’s Clay Works
The price is definitely something that a lot of people have to consider when shopping for anything. However, when you are on vacation, if you are like me, you tend to splurge a little bit more than normal. As for the price at Fowler’s I would say it is at the normal price range.
You may be asking why I said the normal price range. Well, I say it is in the normal price range because the products are hand made and are of very high quality. Not to mention, a lot of the items you are buying from here tend to be unique to the area and shop.
With some people, though, myself included, the price could seem high. I mean on their website the Butterfly Luminary sells for 70 dollars. That seems high to me, but then once you factor in the quality and the potential longevity of the piece when properly cared for and it is easy to see why the price is what it is.
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Are The Items Handmade In The Shop
I know that I have already mentioned this in the list of features, but yes the items are handmade.
To make it even easier for you to see just how handmade the products are you do have the chance to watch them make the pieces. This is going to make it easier for you to see for yourself not only is the pottery handmade, but it is transformed from the clay into a usable and functional item in front of your eyes.
One part that I do find very interesting is the glaze on the dishes is not bought from an outside source. Instead, the shop makes all of their own glaze as well for the pots which helps add to the quality and look of the pieces.
What Can Kids Do At The Shop
Gift shopping for family members is definitely one thing that kids can do here. Granted, the kids may need their parents help to pay for some of the items, but it is definitely worth the price as the family member who is getting the gift will probably not have anything that is like it.
Learning is another thing that the kids can do. Yes, I know most of the time the kids are already going to know everything, at least thats what mine say, but here the chance to learn something new is possible. The kids can learn how pottery is made, but also with the ability to watch the craftsperson make the pottery can visually learn how it is made as well.
For the older kids or those that are more ambitious at a younger age you do have the pottery experience. This is the chance for you to take your own hand at the wheel and take a pottery class from the master here. Then you are going to have a piece that can be unique to what your trip was and know that it is a piece that you or your kids put their own sweat into making.
Are The Classes Worth The Cost
This is more of an opinion based answer than anything, but for me the classes are definitely worth the cost. I mean seriously where else are you able to go to a great shop and learn from the people making the pottery and learn? Yes, I know most shops hold classes, but even then how many clay workers do you have in your own town?
The classes tend to have instructors that take the time to make sure you know about the process of making pottery. This may not seem like it would be that hard to answer, but all you have to do is take the class and you can start to learn each one of the steps. By doing this it makes it easier for you to see why the pieces in the shop cost so much, but also how the lump of clay in front of you is transformed.
One of the best parts is the pieces can be shipped to you. When you take the classes the chances are the pieces will not be finished with the glazing and drying process by the time you leave. Well, with that in mind the company has worked out shipping the products to you and that will make it easier for you to make the pieces and know they will arrive at your home later on and be the exact piece you made.
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Pros And Cons
- Handmade pottery.
- Offers a learning experience of making your own pottery.
- You can watch the pottery being made.
- Does have a sales page online in case your forget anything.
- The products tend to be of an extremely high quality.
- The prices tend to run high, but it is handmade products.
- The classes at times and depending on the instructor can feel rushed.
Who Would Like Fowler’s Clay Works
People of all ages would enjoy going through the shop. I would have to recommend if you have little ones that you keep a close eye on them to make sure they do not pull down any of the pottery and break it.
Someone else that would enjoy the shop are the people that enjoy going through a place that sells handmade items. Since this shop makes everything on site and you can even watch it provides a unique and new experience.
Who Would Disklike The Shop
Budget minded people may not like the shop. Now, as mentioned above and in what someone else on TripAdvisor said the shop it expensive and pricey. So for a budget minded traveler it may not suit your needs perfectly.
The other group of people that would not want to stop here as those that would not really need any of the items that are made here. Granted, it is great to walk through and see what is available, but if you do not need the items then you could easily spend more time in another shop or even the Great Smoky Mountains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Need Reservations For A Pottery Class?
As you can imagine this is a very popular option so a reservation is required.
How Much Do The Classes Cost?
The class cost is changing, but the updated price is available on their website.
Is Shipping Included In The Cost?
For the classes that you can take shipping has been factored in before, but please check the website for latest information.
Does Fowler’s Clay Works Sell Online?
On the website you can find a variety of products that Fowler’s makes and sells online.
How Do I Make The Reservation For Classes?
All of the information for making a reservation can be found on Fowler’s website.
What Are Others Saying About Fowler’s Clay Works
While I do try to provide you quite a bit of information about the shop you may want to know more about it from other people. With that being the case, here is some great information that is from other people who have shopped or taken classes at the location.
Jeff S from TripAdvisor had this to say about the experience at Fowler’s. ”So much fun”. Now, in the full review he mentioned taking the class and learning more about pottery than what he had ever expected, which tends to be true from all the experiences we have read online.
Dolores W left a review on TripAdvisor as well and mentioned this information. ”The pieces are way to expensive for my taste”. This stems back to the same point that I mentioned earlier that the prices can be steep for some people and that includes me. However, at the same time the quality of the pieces is above what I have seen in other locations.
My Final Thoughts On Fowler’s Clay Works
How often when you are at your house do you get a chance to stop in a shop and see the owner? If you are from a larger town the chances are unlikely that you have met the owner of any shop you visit. However, at Fowler’s Clay Works you are going to not only meet the owner, but also get the chance to take classes from him. The pieces you can buy from the shop are amazing and of very good quality and if properly taken care of will last you a lifetime. Overall, I will say, Fowler’s Clay Works, is one of those shops that you could find yourself coming back to time and time again.
Find out more information at Fowler’s Clay Works website.
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