What began with noticing one overlooked potter has grown into a movement that has brought Georgia’s wood-fired potters out of isolation and into museums, galleries, and community with one another.
What set Joel Huff on the path toward organizing a statewide wood-fire exhibition in Georgia was not ambition, strategy, or even a love of logistics. It was, instead, a simple act of human recognition. Years ago, he noticed a fellow wood-fire potter living in difficult circumstances: talented, dedicated, and largely unseen. That encounter stayed with him. As he met more wood-fire artists across the region, each working quietly in their own corners of the state, he felt the same tug: these makers deserve to be known.
What began as one moment of empathy grew into a mission that was part admiration, part preservation, and part desire to bring the lineage of wood firing into clearer public view. Joel describes his own attraction to wood firing as almost devotional. He often compares it to Zen meditation: the focus required, the surrender to the kiln’s unpredictable nature, the way the process erases separation between maker, clay, fire, and history. Wood firing, he says, is a place where he can put his whole self into the work, through sweat, hours of labor, and a sense of belonging to an ancient student-teacher relationship.
A Salesman’s Skill, A Potter’s Heart
Though wood firing is rooted in tradition, curating a statewide exhibition required a very contemporary skill set, one that Joel happened to have. Before devoting himself to ceramics, he worked in sales, and he often credits that background for giving him the confidence to approach institutions that might have otherwise felt far out of reach.
“In sales,” he explains, “you hear ‘no’ constantly. You just learn not to let it stop you.” Armed with what he calls a “good product,” the talented wood-fire potters spread throughout Georgia, Joel reached out to museums, galleries, and cultural centers with persistence and enthusiasm. If someone declined, he followed up months later. He sent strong images, compelling descriptions, and an invitation to be part of something larger than a single show: a statewide movement.
Early on, the hustle was intense. He jokes that he once found himself on the roof of a house for his day job, texting gallery directors between hammer swings. He searched online for potential venues. He spotted others while driving. Wherever there was a wall, a room, or a community space, he imagined pots on display. In time, one “yes” led to another. Opportunities opened at The LaGrange Art Museum, the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, the Morean Center for Clay in Florida, the Winterville Cultural Center, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, and Ology Gallery in Savannah. Each new space lent legitimacy and momentum to the growing project.
One of his most memorable moments came from simply showing up. He visited the LaGrange Art Museum in person, explained his vision to the director, and watched as her enthusiasm sparked immediately. That experience reinforced one of Joel’s guiding beliefs: that the courage to put yourself out there can be more powerful than any formal proposal.
The Challenges of a Statewide Effort
Coordinating potters across a state as large and varied as Georgia comes with its own set of challenges. Distances between artists, kilns, and exhibition sites stretch long. Schedules conflict. Cars fill up. Clay moves slowly.
Joel has considered taking work on loan to help bridge the logistical gaps, easing the burden for artists who live farther away. So far, most participants have been generous and proactive about transporting their pieces, often traveling hours for installations, receptions, and pickups. Joel handles the majority of communication through email: a steady stream of updates, reminders, and encouragement that keeps the project moving. Despite the challenges, the rewards far outweigh the difficulties.
Forging New Connections
One of the most gratifying aspects for Joel has been watching potters, many of whom had never heard of each other, form connections, friendships, and collaborative opportunities. Though they share a firing tradition, wood-fire artists often work in rural or isolated settings, their kilns tucked behind barns or nestled into forests. Bringing them together creates visibility not only for the public but also within the community itself.
Joel believes there is a renewed buzz around wood firing in Georgia and the Southeast, a sense that this ancient method is seeing a resurgence of curiosity. Yet, he also recognizes how much work remains, especially on the collector side. Many people love the look of wood-fired work without fully understanding the process behind it: the labor, the risk, the communal firings, the physicality of stoking through the night. He hopes the exhibitions serve not only as showcases, but also as educational opportunities.
Looking Ahead: Toward a National Show
Joel’s vision doesn’t end at the state line. Someday, he hopes to build a national exhibition, drawing together artists from across regions to explore lineage, technique, and shared influences. The logistics will be more complex. He’s already considering issues like insurance for loaned work, but the idea continues to simmer, waiting for the right moment to take shape.
When asked what advice he would give someone hoping to organize a similar endeavor in their own state, he pauses before offering the most essential truth he’s learned: work with people you trust. Reliability, communication, and shared values turn an overwhelming project into a sustainable one.
He also emphasizes the importance of local knowledge. One of his most influential collaborators has been ceramic artist Jon Brinley, a wood firer with three decades of experience. Joel describes Jon as an “encyclopedia,” a living archive of Southeastern wood-firing history. Jon began his journey as a collector, and that deep curiosity carved pathways of understanding that he freely shared with Joel. His presence has helped root the exhibitions in the region’s cultural and historical context.
A Growing Legacy
What began as a gesture of recognition has grown into something larger: a network, a visibility project, a celebration of labor-intensive craft in a fast-moving world. Joel’s statewide wood-fire exhibition is not just a series of shows. It is a long-term act of community building, honoring the past while advocating for the future.
Like the best wood fires, it continues to spread, log by log, kiln by kiln, artist by artist. It is carried by those who believe in the power of clay, flame, and connection.
Acknowledgment: Joel asked to recognize artist and writer Zuzka Vaclavik for her guidance and support throughout the development of the statewide wood-fire project. Her behind-the-scenes advice, drawn from years of experience in the art world, helped shape the foundation of the exhibition series.
To learn more about the Georgia Wood-fire Potters and their work, follow them on Instagram @georgia_woodfire_potters.
the author Zuzka Vaclavik is an artist whose practice has developed through a sustained engagement with material, labor, and process. She lives and works in the United States and is a dual citizen of the US and Slovakia. To view her work, visit www.earthandashes.com.
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What began with noticing one overlooked potter has grown into a movement that has brought Georgia’s wood-fired potters out of isolation and into museums, galleries, and community with one another.
What set Joel Huff on the path toward organizing a statewide wood-fire exhibition in Georgia was not ambition, strategy, or even a love of logistics. It was, instead, a simple act of human recognition. Years ago, he noticed a fellow wood-fire potter living in difficult circumstances: talented, dedicated, and largely unseen. That encounter stayed with him. As he met more wood-fire artists across the region, each working quietly in their own corners of the state, he felt the same tug: these makers deserve to be known.
What began as one moment of empathy grew into a mission that was part admiration, part preservation, and part desire to bring the lineage of wood firing into clearer public view. Joel describes his own attraction to wood firing as almost devotional. He often compares it to Zen meditation: the focus required, the surrender to the kiln’s unpredictable nature, the way the process erases separation between maker, clay, fire, and history. Wood firing, he says, is a place where he can put his whole self into the work, through sweat, hours of labor, and a sense of belonging to an ancient student-teacher relationship.
A Salesman’s Skill, A Potter’s Heart
Though wood firing is rooted in tradition, curating a statewide exhibition required a very contemporary skill set, one that Joel happened to have. Before devoting himself to ceramics, he worked in sales, and he often credits that background for giving him the confidence to approach institutions that might have otherwise felt far out of reach.
“In sales,” he explains, “you hear ‘no’ constantly. You just learn not to let it stop you.” Armed with what he calls a “good product,” the talented wood-fire potters spread throughout Georgia, Joel reached out to museums, galleries, and cultural centers with persistence and enthusiasm. If someone declined, he followed up months later. He sent strong images, compelling descriptions, and an invitation to be part of something larger than a single show: a statewide movement.
Early on, the hustle was intense. He jokes that he once found himself on the roof of a house for his day job, texting gallery directors between hammer swings. He searched online for potential venues. He spotted others while driving. Wherever there was a wall, a room, or a community space, he imagined pots on display. In time, one “yes” led to another. Opportunities opened at The LaGrange Art Museum, the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, the Morean Center for Clay in Florida, the Winterville Cultural Center, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, and Ology Gallery in Savannah. Each new space lent legitimacy and momentum to the growing project.
One of his most memorable moments came from simply showing up. He visited the LaGrange Art Museum in person, explained his vision to the director, and watched as her enthusiasm sparked immediately. That experience reinforced one of Joel’s guiding beliefs: that the courage to put yourself out there can be more powerful than any formal proposal.
The Challenges of a Statewide Effort
Coordinating potters across a state as large and varied as Georgia comes with its own set of challenges. Distances between artists, kilns, and exhibition sites stretch long. Schedules conflict. Cars fill up. Clay moves slowly.
Joel has considered taking work on loan to help bridge the logistical gaps, easing the burden for artists who live farther away. So far, most participants have been generous and proactive about transporting their pieces, often traveling hours for installations, receptions, and pickups. Joel handles the majority of communication through email: a steady stream of updates, reminders, and encouragement that keeps the project moving. Despite the challenges, the rewards far outweigh the difficulties.
Forging New Connections
One of the most gratifying aspects for Joel has been watching potters, many of whom had never heard of each other, form connections, friendships, and collaborative opportunities. Though they share a firing tradition, wood-fire artists often work in rural or isolated settings, their kilns tucked behind barns or nestled into forests. Bringing them together creates visibility not only for the public but also within the community itself.
Joel believes there is a renewed buzz around wood firing in Georgia and the Southeast, a sense that this ancient method is seeing a resurgence of curiosity. Yet, he also recognizes how much work remains, especially on the collector side. Many people love the look of wood-fired work without fully understanding the process behind it: the labor, the risk, the communal firings, the physicality of stoking through the night. He hopes the exhibitions serve not only as showcases, but also as educational opportunities.
Looking Ahead: Toward a National Show
Joel’s vision doesn’t end at the state line. Someday, he hopes to build a national exhibition, drawing together artists from across regions to explore lineage, technique, and shared influences. The logistics will be more complex. He’s already considering issues like insurance for loaned work, but the idea continues to simmer, waiting for the right moment to take shape.
When asked what advice he would give someone hoping to organize a similar endeavor in their own state, he pauses before offering the most essential truth he’s learned: work with people you trust. Reliability, communication, and shared values turn an overwhelming project into a sustainable one.
He also emphasizes the importance of local knowledge. One of his most influential collaborators has been ceramic artist Jon Brinley, a wood firer with three decades of experience. Joel describes Jon as an “encyclopedia,” a living archive of Southeastern wood-firing history. Jon began his journey as a collector, and that deep curiosity carved pathways of understanding that he freely shared with Joel. His presence has helped root the exhibitions in the region’s cultural and historical context.
A Growing Legacy
What began as a gesture of recognition has grown into something larger: a network, a visibility project, a celebration of labor-intensive craft in a fast-moving world. Joel’s statewide wood-fire exhibition is not just a series of shows. It is a long-term act of community building, honoring the past while advocating for the future.
Like the best wood fires, it continues to spread, log by log, kiln by kiln, artist by artist. It is carried by those who believe in the power of clay, flame, and connection.
Acknowledgment: Joel asked to recognize artist and writer Zuzka Vaclavik for her guidance and support throughout the development of the statewide wood-fire project. Her behind-the-scenes advice, drawn from years of experience in the art world, helped shape the foundation of the exhibition series.
To learn more about the Georgia Wood-fire Potters and their work, follow them on Instagram @georgia_woodfire_potters.
the author Zuzka Vaclavik is an artist whose practice has developed through a sustained engagement with material, labor, and process. She lives and works in the United States and is a dual citizen of the US and Slovakia. To view her work, visit www.earthandashes.com.
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