Photo courtesy of Leigh Cohen
Leigh Cohen, owner of Claying Around, opened the first location of her pottery studio in Biltmore Village in 2005. “At the time, I wanted to create a place for an individual to try the potters’ wheel without having to invest in a series of classes,” she says. In 2008, Claying Around moved to a new location in Asheville on Hendersonville Road. The studio also offers much more than just access to a potters’ wheel: customers can paint their own pottery and try their hand at canvas painting, glass fusing, mosaics, silver clay jewelry and hand building with clay. All activities are available on a walk-in basis except for the pottery wheel lessons, which require a reservation. “I like variety,” Cohen says. “We have an enormous selection of pottery pieces to choose from and we carry many different colors of underglaze and specialty glazes.”
Cohen and her “small but mighty” team keep busy with a 5-day turnaround for fired pottery. They also offer a variety of enrichment opportunities like field trips, summer youth programs and birthday parties. Cohen, who has a master’s degree in ceramics, is the glue that holds the store together. “I am currently the pottery wheel instructor, social media girl, graphic designer, behind-the-scenes elf, owner, manager and fixer of broken pottery,” she says. “We try to make every effort to ensure that our customers enjoy their time with us. We want to be a place where families can share those special memories and grow with us.”
Claying Around is located at 1378 Hendersonville Road, Suite D, in Asheville. For more information, visit clayingaround.com or call the studio at 828.277.0042.
