Sarah Wells Rolland
Ceramic artist
When you meet Sarah Wells Rolland, you’ll realize right away that she is enthusiastic about clay! She occasionally dabbles in other art forms, but clay has been her love as long as she can remember.
Originally from Florida, Sarah has been in western NC since 1977. She settled in and grew a successful pottery business by selling to galleries and exhibiting in national art shows. Her forms are distinctive, they have a style and graceful quality that is easily recognizable.
After years of working alone in her home studio, Sarah had an opportunity to mentor a young potter in her community – that’s when she found that she loved the pouring into another artists’ life with her knowledge and experience. This mentoring opportunity turned out to be a prelude to a new business venture.
In 2011 Sarah with her husband, George, founded The Village Potters Clay Center in the Asheville River Arts District. There Sarah dedicates much of her time to mentoring skilled potters who desire to become master potters. She shares in their dreams and works alongside each student as they discover their own voice in clay. Sarah is joined by a handful of resident potters and together they offer workshops, ongoing mentoring, exhibit opportunities, kiln opening events and more.
Though she no longer travels to art shows, Sarah loves to make commissioned work and sells her work in her Gallery in The River Arts District. She remains an active member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild since 1991. She has been the recipient of grants and numerous awards, and her work can be found in many private and permanent collections such as the Corsaw Collection at Alfred University. In January, 2019 Sarah and The Village Potters Clay Center were featured in Ceramics Monthly Magazine.
We encourage you to go visit Sarah with Art Connections for a special piece for your home! She’s a busy lady so going with us assures you some one-on-one time and a chance to see behind the scenes in her active studio.
