Whether you're looking for art, history, or both, Brewery Pottery is sure to pique your interest. Walking through the doors of Brewery Pottery you'll be welcomed by an eclectic mix of artwork and our working pottery studio is just up the ramp inside the front door (come in and take a peek around the studio!) located within the gallery. We (Diana, Tom and Claire) make functional stoneware and porcelain pottery meant to be used and enjoyed daily. Mugs, bowls, vases, trays, and everything in between are all created here.
In addition to all the pottery that's made in house, on display throughout the gallery are works from over 250 different artists. A mixture of local and regional artists span a wide variety of mediums. From pottery, paintings, and photography, to jewelry, toys, sculpture, and more - we've got something for everyone. All items are handcrafted by small independent artisans as well as fair trade items from across the globe.
Once you're inside (or even standing outside, really!), you'll notice something else too... this is not your normal run-of-the-mill building. The building was built and used as a brewery for 110 years. From 1850 until 1961 it was a busting brewery, mostly brewing Mineral Spring Beer. Signs of the buildings former life as a brewery are abundant around every turn.
Take notice of the ceiling, floors, and walls. They're original. Those ceiling beams that are so close together were built that way with purpose. They were used to support the many tons of grain needed for brewing the beer. Up in studio, you'll see the potters wheel with a door behind it labeled bottling cellar. That's not for show. That's really where the bottling cellar used to be.
Besides the artwork, what makes the space uniquely interesting is that it is in fact, really unique. You can actually see and feel the robust history of the building as you walk around. We love this building and feel fortunate to be the caretakers and to be able to share the space with the public.
Inside the gallery, we have a small brewery museum celebrating the building's brewing history. In 2022 we updated and refreshed it,
check out this post to see more. To read more about the interesting history of the building,
follow this link.
In 2020, during the Covid lock down, we joined our two existing brick and mortar galleries together. Brewery Pottery and Johnston Gallery are now just Brewery Pottery. The items from both galleries are now all for sale at 276 Shakerag, at Brewery Pottery. Those same items can also be found for sale online on the very website you're on! As always, give us a call at 608-987-3669 if you have any questions!
