Ellison Bay Pottery is located in Northeast Wisconsin on the Door County Peninsula.
Look at a map of Wisconsin and locate the thumb of the mitten that Wisconsin resembles. Situated between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, Door County is that thumb. And Ellison Bay is almost to the top of that thumb.
John Dietrich bought Driftwood Farms (10 acres of apple and cherry trees, an apple packing barn and outbuildings) in 1974 and transformed it into Ellison Bay Pottery. The apple packing barn also stored apples and cherries and housed chickens. There was an office, a garage, bare walls and electricity in the barn. The water came from a faucet in the basement and the plumbing… well, there wasn't any. A four holer was operational then!
After many years of remodeling the studio, gallery and living quarters, John and his wife Diane have an established business in a thriving tourist area which is well known for its natural beauty, visual and performing arts and hospitality.
John studied art at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI and did his post graduate work at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with Paul Donhauser. After deciding studio work was his passion, he sought out Abe Cohn, a potter with a studio/gallery in both Milwaukee and Fish Creek, a small village in Door County. John became Abe's assistant for six years in both studios. When John was ready to open his own studio he met with Sid Telfer, walked through the barn and knew this was what he had always wanted.