Kim Ellington

A Hickory, North Carolina native, Kim ellington attended Haywood Technical College studying horticulture. However, like Charlie Lisk, it took only one pottery course for him to get hooked. He opened up his own pottery shop in Hickory in 1982, selling his wares.

About 1984 or 1985 Kim visited Burlon Craig. he had learned about him from one of Burlon's relatives. Kim had been contacted by Dr. Bob Hart to help him build a groundhog kiln at his rebuilt cabin village in Catawba County. Dr. Hart gave him rights to fire in that kiln at will.

Advice from Burlon concerning groundhog kilns and the making of swirl pottery coupled with Kim's high level of skill and experience, has earned him acclaim for being among those Catawba Valley potters who still hold to traditional methods.

Having recently built his own groundhog kiln on his own property in Vale, NC, Kim plans to continue making pottery for a long time. He does some face and snake pieces, but the bulk of his work consists of very unique wide swirls and large alkaline glazed jugs, jars, and pitchers.