Sienna Shute

Sienna Shute (she/her) is a potter based in Cherokee County, North Carolina. She began practicing pottery after taking classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School, later studying at Lantern Hill Pottery in Seagrove, North Carolina, and the Professional Crafts Program in Clay at Haywood Community College, where she met her mentor Emily Reason. She has since joined the active community of potters in Western North Carolina and started her own studio, Sienna Shute Pottery, where she produces and sells functional pieces.  

“As the world becomes more digital, I believe it is important to keep ourselves grounded and connected with others and our planet,” Sienna says. “What better way to do both than to preserve an art form that promotes intimate interactions with objects made by hand, from materials provided by the earth around us? My favorite thing about functional pottery is knowing these pots become an everyday object in someone's home. Others live with these pieces and often interact with them on a daily basis. It's my belief that people find joy in using objects they know were made by another person's own hands instead of by machines.”

With her Emerging Traditional Artists Program award, Sienna hopes to pursue new educational opportunities through the Penland School of Crafts in Mitchell County, North Carolina; the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; the Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine; and the Ceramic Materials Workshop. Her goals also include teaching more classes in pottery, attending the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference, and becoming a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.