AboutBruce and Kelley Hoefer first crossed paths in 1993 while studying agriculture at Berea College. After moving to Corvallis, Oregon in 1997 we went to work in our respective fields, Bruce in horticulture and me in massage therapy. In 2000 we signed up for a beginner’s pottery class. Little did we know how profound an impact this would have on our lives, as it wasn’t long before we bought a potters wheel and an electric kiln. Over the years our love of clay only grew, while the garage and house became increasingly dedicated to making pots. Ten years later, after moving to Bend, Oregon I was making pots full-time, and Bruce was running a nice little home remolding business. All was moving along well, with me setting up at art fairs and Bruce spending more and more time in the studio. Then, came the recession! Central Oregon was severely impacted, and we were one of many families who lost their jobs and homes. We suddenly needed to make some hard choices fast. Moving back to Berea, Kentucky was an idea that kept coming up. Having family and friends in the area, along with Berea’s storied history as the craft capital of Kentucky made it seem like the next right step. With the help of family and friends the cross country trip started and we arrived in April 2009. By converting a pole building into a studio, then building a kiln, Turning Wheel Pottery started to get established. We feel like we have found a home as potters in Berea. Living in an area with so many talented artists in all mediums is very inspirational. Working together as a husband and wife team suits us well. Each of us have strengths and weaknesses that in the end seem to all balance out, especially with the jobs each of us don’t like to do. In the short time we have been in Kentucky we have seen the necessity of having a gallery on site as well as our working studio. We are in the planning process of converting a pole barn into a gallery. We don’t have an on-site gallery yet, but you can find a list of galleries who carry our work on the events page. You are welcome to visit the studio if you are curious to see the process first hand. Just give us a call first to make sure we are there. About Our Pottery
We strive to make work that is beautiful but also useful in the daily rituals of home and kitchen. Our pottery is safe for oven and microwave use and is dishwasher safe. When cooking with ceramic cookware, remember to always put your cookware in the oven first and then turn the oven on. It’s best to never put your ceramic cookware in a preheated oven. Also never subject your pottery to a direct flame, stovetop heat or to abrupt temperature changes. We will replace any piece that fails within one year due to thermal shock. |
All of our pottery is hand made. We mix our own glazes from food safe raw materials. Each glaze design is hand painted using a wax resist process and multiple layers of glaze. Our pottery is then fired in our 50 cubic foot down draft kiln to 2350 F.