Richard Kirk Banks

            The Orchard Shop recently acquired a collection of beautiful and vibrant pottery made right here in Hindman by local artist Richard Kirk Banks. Kirk, a Whitesburg, KY native, is a multi-disciplinary studio artist and Master in Residence at the Appalachian Artisan Center. He practices in ceramic arts, printmaking, and painting. Each of his areas of work are imbued with his characteristic simplicity, playful nature, and saturated color.

            We have a full line of pottery vases handmade by Kirk in his Hindman studio now available in our store, online at theorchardshop.org, and traveling to DAR events throughout the country! Some of these pieces are marked “F22” signifying that they were in his studio at that time of the July 2022 flood that devastated the Appalachian Artisan Center and the artisans’ studios on the first floor, including Kirk’s. There, Kirk weekly taught pottery to the community at Family Fun Night’s, worked with students in their Culture of Recovery program, and also taught a beautiful apprentice that I have a particular fondness for, my wife, the craft of ceramic arts. So, I am personally honored to help spread Kirk’s work to the Hindman Settlement School community near and far. We hope that you will help support this amazing local artist!