Stoke Hole Pottery
Birch and Debra Frew
841 Reams Rd.
Indiana, PA 15701

Directions from Indiana:

1. Take old 119 (4th Street) North to Rt. 110
2. Left on Rt. 110
3. Right on Grove Chapel Road
4. Left on Reams Road
5. Go approx. 1/2 mile - 4th Driveway on left

 

 

 

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Stoke Hole Pottery is nestled in a rural area located just outside of Indiana, between Musser Nursery and Blue Spruce Park. The studio has been up and running for six years and the new gallery has been for two years.

Teaching daily pottery courses complements and often inspires Birch’s own explorations in clay. After students develop basic techniques for making pottery, they are encouraged to consider the firing method that best suits their work. Whether it is the bright colors available through firing in an oxidizing atmosphere in the electric kiln, the subtle hues and soda flashing in the high-fire gas kiln, or the magical combination of flame pattern, wood ash, and salt vapor found throughout the wood-kiln, that excites a student’s creative streak, there is certainly an endless array of possibilities for experimentation. Most work that is produced at Stoke Hole Pottery is functional tableware, however, there are many opportunities for sculptural pursuits.

 

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Birch Frew - Artist's Statement:

“I think my love of pottery is rooted in my belief that the calculated production of functional ware, when transformed through the happy accidents of atmospheric firings, can bring a mystical element to the daily rituals of sustenance that are increasingly threatened by a fast food and paper plate society. My love of teaching comes from a desire to share my knowledge of and enthusiasm for clay with others. The constant challenge of assisting the explorations of my students continues to open my eyes to new possibilities; so really, it is a sharing of ideas and inspiration that fuel my classroom experience. At the end of the day I just love making pots.”

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