Bill & Pam Clark

Bill Clark 

Bill Clark’s journey with clay began in 1967 in San Antonio, Texas, where he apprenticed with the renowned potter Harding Black. He later studied ceramics at the Newcomb Art School at Tulane University. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, he began exploring these influences within his own designs. Bill taught pottery, drawing and painting for the City of New Orleans for four years and was eventually honored with the Key to the City for his artistic contributions. He also designed shirts for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

In 1979, Bill moved to Greenville, South Carolina, to raise his family while continuing his pottery. He participated in Art in the Park for years and became an advocate for the local arts community, including active membership in the Metropolitan Arts Council’s Open Studios. He has participated in the National Arts & Crafts Conference in Asheville, NC for 27 years. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to educating others about the craft of pottery.

In 2002, inspired by the work of George Ohr, the "Mad Potter of Biloxi," Bill dedicated himself to mastering the technical throwing methods required to create Ohr’s original light and unusual clay fold shapes. This passion led to the development of his own unique interpretations of these designs without ever becoming a copy.

This dedication resulted in a significant connection with George Ohr’s descendants. In 2009, the family invited Bill to speak at their family reunion in Biloxi, and in 2011, they formally welcomed Bill and Pam into their family. To date, the Ohr family has collected over 285 pieces of Clark House Pottery. This endorsement is a profound honor that continues to encourage his work.

Pam Clark 

For 35 years, clay has allowed Pam to express her ideas of the natural landscape, specifically inspired by the calm beauty of her garden and the woods surrounding Greenville in the foothills of South Carolina. Outdoors was her playground and her horse Shasta took her into fields and streams to explore nature, study design and dream about making beauty. 

After a career in the medical field, Pam completed an art degree to pursue her lifelong love of pottery, a passion that began in childhood. This passion began while helping her mother make items at a ceramics shop. The process of working with clay is both calming and creative for her, and she is continually inspired by the idea of making pottery pieces that can be used and enjoyed. She built a studio in her backyard under tall trees with her husband who is also a potter. 

Pam’s pottery reflects a connection to the physical world through design, form, and color. She utilizes various techniques—including carving, sculpting, hand-building, slip trailing, and glazing—to convey the feeling of nature. She particularly enjoys carving horses, flowers and birds on wheel-thrown stoneware vases. Pam treasures those wonderful memories inspired by Shasta, her horse, as she makes each wheel thrown body in stoneware and hand sculpts the remaining horse. 

She has participated in the National Arts & Crafts Conference in Asheville, NC, for 27 years, as well as local events like Art in the Park and the Metropolitan Arts Council’s Open Studios. Her work is included in the permanent collections of several museums, including the American Museum of Ceramic Arts in Pomona, CA, the South Carolina State Museum, and the McKissick Museum in Columbia, SC. Her pottery can be found in galleries and guilds including the SC Artisan Center in Walterboro, SC and the Southern Highland Craft Guild Gallery in Asheville, NC on the Blue Ridge Parkway.