Chad is a 5th generation potter; his great-great grandfather was William Henry Chriscoe, whose original log cabin studio now resides in the Smithsonian Museum. Chad is an up-and-coming potter to watch on the Seagrove scene, having worked as a journeyman potter for numerous studios in the Seagrove area and assisting many local potters with their wood firings.
Chad was exposed to pottery at a young age, around 5 or 6. His earliest memory of working with clay is with Dot and Walter Auman. Chad says, “They babysat a lot of kids back then. I remember everything about that day, where I sat, what I ate. I made animals all day and Dot promised me that at the end of the day I could take a turn on the wheel. Dot told momma that I should be a potter since I stayed so interested all day long.” Around the same time Chad’s mother Carolyne started the ceramics program at Montgomery Community College. Chad tagged along and made a rabbit and got in trouble for mashing the button on the pug mill to make the clay come out. Chad’s grandpa, Graham Chriscoe opened his pottery shop when Chad was around 9. He absorbed a great deal from working with his grandparents in their shop. Moving into his teen years he got interested in sports and other endeavors. He left to attend NC State for Ag Science. “I lived above the pottery studio in college, but never set foot in it. I made my spending money by carrying pots back and forth from grandpa’s shop and painting them in the style of Graham Chriscoe. I got maybe $5 or $10 bucks a piece for them. I just didn’t really think I could make a living by making pots.”
Chad learned his technical skills in the more traditional Seagrove fashion, by working as an apprentice and for many studios. He spent 5 or 6 years working for Richard Gillson at Holly Hill. Chad says, “You make two or three hundred of the same shape and you get pretty good at it.” He continued to expand his skills by working as a journeyman potter, traveling from studio to studio and turning the various shapes required. That kind of work is priced by how many pounds of clay get turned. He worked for Wyndham Pottery, Uwharrie Crystalline, Cross Creek, Paul Ray Pottery and Caldwell-Hohl Artworks among many others. Sherry Caldwell-Hohl describes Chad, “My relationship with Chad started in 1999. We spent a lot of time talking about the history of Seagrove potters as he had experienced it. I was fascinated with the stories of his grandfather and great-grandfather. We also discussed the business aspects of him becoming a journeyman potter, and I encouraged him to pursue it. I think at that time, he made a commitment to his career as a potter. He has always approached pottery with hard work, diligence and extremely thoughtful planning for his career development. Chad is not a person who makes spur of the moment decisions. He spent several years working for other potters, perfecting his skills, and absorbing everything he could from his work environment. During the five years that he worked for me, I saw him grow, not just as a potter, but as a person dedicated to maintaining the heritage of Seagrove in his own work. Chad is known as one who speaks softly, but most always has a simplistic but astute approach to solving problems and making decisions. One thing he said to me that I will never forget is this: "My mother always told me that a woman will always come up with the easiest way to get something done." His words will stay with me forever.”
Chad has also participated in numerous wood firings with various potters including Ben Owen III, David Stuempfle and Mark Hewitt. His own design and construction of his wood kiln is unique in the Seagrove area. It is a 50 cubic foot gas and wood kiln combination that produces finishes on his pots unlike any other potter. Chad remarked, “It took me about 3 firings to get it worked out, I’m still working it out. Some of my favorite shapes to make are the same that my great-great grandfather made. I really like the straight sided whiskey jugs. They made them stand up straight so they could pack more into the wagons. I like the idea of that. I like making big jars. I coil build them. David Stuempfle taught me how to do that. I’m mostly a shape person, form comes before surface. I look at the line of a pot; to me colors and surface, that’s secondary.”
Around four years ago Chad began to participate in shows and exhibits while continuing to work as a journeyman potter. “I started to realize that I couldn’t advance further, not enough time. I’d improve then fall back. You get onto a thought and need to stay with it; production pottery was breaking that concentration. I just felt I wasn’t getting as good as I could be.” Recently engaged, Chad stays busy making his pottery and constructing a log cabin on family land, inspired by his great-great grandfather’s shop. He sees himself in 5 years with the cabin finished and partially made into a shop area, continuing his commitment to perfecting his craft. He has plans to build a new combination groundhog and anagama style kiln there as well.
Chad’s decision to pursue his own pottery full-time this year was rewarded last month when he received the “The Award of Excellence” at The Arts in the Park show in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Sid Luck of Luck’s Ware, coordinator of the 2008-09 TAPS (Traditional Arts Program for Students) said, “I was most fortunate to have Chad as an assistant in the TAPS program this year. He is an excellent potter, has a great rapport with students and is very dependable.” TAPS is an afterschool collaboration between the NC Arts Council, the NC Pottery Center, and Seagrove Elementary School. Its purpose is to provide public school students with the knowledge and practices of the Seagrove traditional pottery culture. Chad demonstrates for the public on Saturdays at the North Carolina Pottery Center. Mark Hewitt, VP of the Center remarked, "Chad Brown has quietly established his presence as one of the most talented younger potters in Seagrove. We all enjoy Chad's humor and good nature, and know how much he contributes to the NCPC with his patient, insightful demonstrations and his warm, generous personality. His beautiful pots reflect who he is."
2009 Celebration of Seagrove Potters - Nov. 20-22, 2009 
