Potter and ceramic artist Hunt Prothro is part of a unique pottery lineage. His mentor, Marguerite Wilderhain, significantly influenced American pottery from the early 20th century through 1980, and Pond Farm, her pottery studio, is a recognized National Landmark. Marguerite was mentored in Germany by the master potter Max Krehan (A Potter’s Life: Marguerite Wildenhain at Pond Farm | SFO Museum). Hunt has added to the artistic family tree by bridging nearly two generations of modern culture through teaching, mentoring, and workshops from the late 20th century into the 21st. 

While his reputation as a celebrated ceramics artist precedes him, Hunt has an unassuming, gentle and attentive presence. He is open and welcoming, and there is a playfulness to him, especially when he talks about his career as a professional rock climber, which spanned decades and overlapped with his vocation as an artist. His eyes twinkle when he shares the story of the ceramic cup he designed for rock climbing, which he named the Tuolumne after a subalpine meadow along the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. The cup, which would be at home in any gourmet kitchen, is equally fit for vertical climbs and sipping clear clean water in a high-mountain meadow.

Hunt’s studio and gallery are in the picturesque town of Keedysville, Maryland. His studio is open, spacious, and well-lit by large windows. The walls are adorned with art and photographs taken through the years. There is a mix of color and black-and-white prints, which are inviting and pleasing to the eye. Brushes of all shapes and sizes, their handles covered in dusty clay from years of work, line a large shelf under a window. The studio feels like a place that connects decades’ worth of muscle memory with imagination and play–like Neverland.

The living room in Hunt’s 19th-century, restored home has been converted into a gallery which is even more of a treat to the senses than the studio. The room thoughtfully blends the old and new. The wood floor is solid and you can sense some of its history under your feet. Moving into the room you pass the beautifully crafted powder coated steel bannister curves up through the vaulted ceiling to the home’s second story. The stairs are completed with warm black walnut treads. The pottery is presented in two ways—a modern art gallery style that highlights individual pieces and vignettes—which invite the viewer to imagine how these pieces could accentuate their home, office, or life. 

Hunt has been working with ceramics for over 50 years and during that time he honed his skills and developed a unique and recognizable style. His pieces range from functional tableware, such as plates, bowls, and his popular Tuolumne cup, to sculptural pieces that are equally decorative. One of the hallmarks of Prothro's work is the attention to detail that he puts into each piece, with many of his designs featuring intricate patterns and textures, elements of the poetic imagination that are masterfully applied by hand and sometimes hidden in a piece.

Hunt's pottery is also known for its unique glazes, created using various techniques and materials. Some of his pieces feature bright, bold colors, while others have a muted, earthy tone. Whatever the color palette, the glazes on Hunt's pottery add depth and texture to each piece, creating a visual feast for the eyes.

Hunt lets his imagination connect to the clay through his hands. Answering the call of his art, he must disappear and reemerge with the new art. What he creates is unlike what he has done before. The clay ultimately decides where the art will go and the variety of forms that it will take. It is the living story of pottery, and like any story of art, the art is never content to be static; it keeps changing, and Hunt, a dedicated spirit, changes with it. 

As part of his craft, Hunt creates continual circles of friends to support the new layers of his work. The changes in the art cause him to create concentric social rings to attract new audiences and develop relationships with them to his pottery. Like an in-breath and an out-breath, the work needs an audience, and the audience desires the work; in a way, Hunt’s friends become his co-creators. People don’t select Hunt’s pottery to purchase; they “find” it through collaboration and a journey of discovery.

In addition to being an accomplished artist, Hunt has taught pottery and ceramics at varying levels for over four decades. At his studio in Keedysville, he offers classes and workshops for aspiring and master potters. By providing education, he shares his knowledge and expertise with others and creates a legacy by keeping the tradition and practice of his ceramic art form alive and passing it onto the next generations of potters. His studio is a hub of creativity and inspiration and he’s building a spacious learning center beneath to facilitate master classes on a rolling basis.

Hunt is an accomplished artist whose work has attracted collectors from around the world. His ceramics are not just functional objects but works of art meant to be admired and appreciated. He creates beautiful pieces imbued with a sense of his history and tradition through his use of texture, color, pattern, and elements such as liquid gold. In a world where mass-produced items are becoming more common, the work of Hunt Prothro stands out as a testament to the enduring beauty of handmade objects and the importance of connecting with our past and one’s own creativity. The public and prospective students are invited to set up an in-person visit to experience the artist, his gallery, and his work firsthand.

Nestled in the Appalachian foothills that make up the southwestern corridor of South Mountain, Hunt Prothro’s gallery is one of 10 Washington County, Maryland Pottery Trail studio tour. Touring the studios along the trail is a delightful way to meet and enjoy ten different artists, their styles, and their approaches to pottery. “When an artist creates in collaboration with the spirit of their location, it becomes a treasure of a lifetime,” says Betsy De Vore, Director of Marketing for Visit Hagerstown and Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Learn More by Visiting his Website and Joining his Mailing List:

Hunt Prothro, Clean Drinking Pottery

20100 Millbrook Road, Keedysville, Maryland 21756

Phone: 202.494.1045

Website: https://huntprothro.com/

Email: rhuntprothro@gmail.com

Instgram: @instagram.com/huntprothro

Pottery Trail:

The Washington County Pottery Trail was developed and promoted by Visit Hagerstown and Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Bibliography

A Potter’s Life: Marguerite Wildenhain at Pond Farm | SFO Museum. https://www.sfomuseum.org/exhibitions/potters-life-marguerite-wildenhain-pond-farm. Accessed 8 Apr. 2023.

“Max Krehan.” Wikipedia, 24 Jan. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Max_Krehan&oldid=1135368386.

Pottery | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/pottery. Accessed 8 Apr. 2023.

Prothro, Hunt. “Hunt Prothro - Clean Drinking Pottery.” Hunt Prothro - Clean Drinking Pottery, https://huntprothro.com/about. Accessed 8 Apr. 2023.

Tributes - Sidwell Friends. https://www.sidwell.edu/retired-former-employees/tributes/~board/news-tributes/post/a-tribute-to-hunt-prothro. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

Violatti, Cristian. “Pottery in Antiquity.” World History Encyclopedia, https://www.worldhistory.org/pottery/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2023.