I grew up in central Illinois, where I learned to love nature and create art surrounded by endless farm fields, iron-stained sandstone canyons, and epic thunderstorms.

After completing a B.A. in Anthropology from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2009, I followed my heart to the crystal clear South Toe River for a summer of camp counseling in Celo. From there, I discovered Haywood Community College’s Professional Craft program, which gave me the tools I needed to dive into pottery. It's no wonder that the natural beauty and rich history of craft in Western North Carolina drew me in - and I’ve felt right at home ever since.

My work focuses on deeply carved patterns, and a variety of firing techniques from soda, gas, and wood-firing to airbrushed underglaze in electric kilns. I love the curiosity and experimentation which clay invites, and the delight of discovery has been a theme in my work from the beginning.

As I've grown more confident in my tools and techniques I’ve started to think of them as the components of my own intimate language. Each carving is a spontaneous response to the piece in hand, and represents a singular moment in time - it is rare to find any two exactly alike. This private “conversation” between me and each pot becomes communal when extended into the realm of atmospheric firings where the effort of the group helps give each piece its individual and unexpected character.

Molly Walter lives and works in Weaverville, NC and is currently a resident artist at Mars Hill University.

She has a B.A. in Anthropology from Illinois Wesleyan University, and is a graduate of the Haywood Community College - Professional Crafts program.

Outside of the studio you can find her in the woods, looking for mushrooms or swimming in a cold mountain stream.