The John O. Dodson family began making pottery together in the 1970s in Fortson, GA, just north of Columbus. John O. Dodson and his wife Sybil opened the first Mud Dabbers shop in Brevard, NC in 1988. In 1997, their son Brad opened a new Mud Dabbers location just outside Waynesville, NC in the Balsam area, making this the second generation of Mud Dabbers potters.
The Mud Dabbers name was inspired by the dirt daubers, insects who build their nests from mud–these friendly insects found the family’s drying pots to be the perfect source of building supplies. The smiling Mud Dabber logo, drawn by son John E. Dodson at age 12, symbolizes the joy and happiness the family hopes will be yours in the sharing of their craft.
Everything sold in our shop is created on-site in our Balsam studio, at our Brevard location, or in the private, local studios of our family and friends.