Help Us Build Our Dream Studio

We are Brooke and Dana Gehman, located in Adams, Tennessee just about 30 miles northwest of Nashville.  We started making pottery in 1993 and have always dreamed of building a studio large enough for expansion of our business and for visitors to be able to come see us as we work.

In 2019 we began construction of our dream.  2020 was supposed to be the year we moved into our studio, but unforeseen obstacles prevented that from happening.  We are now looking for partners who would like to invest in the future of Gehman Pottery Works by helping us see the inside of our building completed.  We still need a bit more electrical and plumbing work done, the entire building insulated, the HVAC installed, interior walls completed and the loft area extended. We have a portion of the money needed for this work, but need an additional $25,000 to see it completed enough for us to move in and work.

Our Origin Story

Our story begins way back in 1993 when we were learning to make pottery from the incomparable Steve and Jane Fry of  Elk Falls Pottery  in Elk Falls, Kansas.  In the four years we spent working with and learning from the Fry's, we gained more knowledge and experience in making pottery than we could have in any school.  From digging and processing our own clay, to mixing our own glazes, these skills have been invaluable to us as we've built our own pottery business.

For 12 years I made pottery as my main source of income.  Dana, being an RN, has worked off and on at various hospitals, nursing homes and even Hospice Care over the years.  But our dream, our goal, was always that one day we could work together fulltime in the pottery business.  

In 2005, we set aside the making of pottery for a season when we joined staff with Youth With A Mission in Adams, TN (A multi-denominational missions movement that trains and sends young people all over the globe to love and serve the people of those nations.)  We figured that our days of making pottery were behind us.  But I kept having these extremely vivid dreams about working with clay.  Upon waking, I would feel a sense of sadness.  There was no doubt about it, I missed making pottery.

Every once in a while I would get out my wheel and just practice throwing.  It was very therapeutic.  As the years passed, the dreams kept coming and a stirring began in my heart to once again pursue pottery making.

After acquiring a small kiln (my one missing ingredient from my pottery-making days) I started making things on the wheel more frequently, taking over a room in our house to do my work.  It wasn't long before we realized that making pottery fulltime was once again the dream that God was putting in our hearts.  In the Fall of 2016 I transitioned into being a fulltime potter once again.

 Our dream included building a large workspace that would have room enough for several wheels, work tables, ware racks, display area as well as a kiln room.  In 2019 we sought out contractors who would give us bids on our dream building.  We chose a builder officially on the last day of October, 2019 with much excitement and anticipation that we would soon be in our new workshop.

Weather didn't cooperate, crews didn't show up for weeks or months at a time.  The owner and foreman started to ignore all of our phone calls, emails, texts, etc. and we felt a huge wave of discouragement, regret, disappointment, even anger start to consume us.  We had every reason to believe that 2020 would see us moved in to our new workshop and the expansion that would have on our business.  But again, months went by with no word from the builder and nothing we said or did could change anything.

There were several things we had discussed having in our building that suddenly the builder said were never included. This left us in a rather sticky situation as we had budgeted what we believed we could afford to build this shop, but suddenly we were left with an unfinished project that would cost even more to get to a point where we could move in.

We have some big dreams and are very excited about how awesome this shop will be once it's completed.  We are still needing to finish the wiring and plumbing, insulate the entire building, cover the walls, install the HVAC and expand the loft area that was built at half the size we need. Plans are evolving to hire some of the help we need. And we have some family who have graciously offered to donate their time and labor to see this project completed. 

We are truly grateful that in spite of a global pandemic, our business has not slowed down.  2020 was our best year yet for sales and we anticipate continued growth this year, which is one reason it is so crucial we move into a larger work space as soon as possible.

We would be honored to have you join us by investing in our business with us. And, as always, we'd love it if you make Adams, TN a stop on your next adventure.

A look at the rewards we are offering our supporters!

Check out this video to get just a sampling of what your vouchers could purchase!