Handmade Pottery

Pottery from The Clay Works is hand made by Joy Jones. Every ceramic piece is created from stoneware clay which is fired to cone 6 (2232 degrees Fahrenheit). Carefully crafted and glazed for optimum beauty, these pieces are safe to use in the oven, microwave, and dishwasher.

The Clay Works Story

Joy Jones was born and raised in Wyoming and planned to become a potter from the first time she took a clay class at Lander Valley High School. She studied art at the University of Wyoming and Utah State University, receiving her BFA in 1991. Joy then went south to Tulane University in New Orleans, LA where she created ceramic sculptures and participated in the NCECA Student show, received first place in the Newcomb College Art Show, and exhibited her work at the New Orleans School of Glassworks. While she was a student at Tulane, Joy had unique opportunities to create work for the sets of “Hard Target”, a movie starring Jean Claude Van Damme, and “Interview with a Vampire” starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Upon receiving her MFA in 1994, Joy returned to Wyoming and opened The Clay Works, a retail store where she created and sold her artwork for the next six years. Realizing that the wanted to focus more on creating her artwork, Joy decided to close the retail part of The Clay Works and work privately in her home studio. Her focus is on beautiful, colorful, functional ware that can be used every day while adding aesthetic appeal to any home. Now, you can find pottery from The Clay Works in several stores around Wyoming and at select art fairs in the Western region. Joy's ultimate goal is to create functional work that provides an aesthetic experience for those who own and use it in their everyday lives.