Thank you for visiting Island Folk Pottery, the home of artists Heather Goff and Bill O’Callaghan.
Gallery and Sculpture Trail
Location:
16 Marion’s Way
Chilmark, MA
02535
Hours:
Pottery Shop Hours:
Wednesday–Saturday: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM,
Sundays 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
May – December
or by appointment. Please call 508-955-9944
Trail Hours:
9 am – 5 pm daily
May – Thanksgiving weekend
We welcome you to our magical sculpture trail and pottery shop. The sculpture trail is open daily to the public. Our pottery shop is open Wednesday – Saturday from 11-5, Sundays 2-5 or by appointment. There is ample parking on the driveway. The Sculpture Trail entrance is just across from the driveway on Marion’s Way. We look forward to your visit!
Directions
GPS DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. Many people find themselves miles away down long and beautiful dirt roads. Please reference the directions and visuals below to be safe.
We are located at 16 Marion’s Way in Chilmark. Marion’s Way is off of Middle Line Road which is off of Tabor House Road (where the Chilmark Landfill is).
If you come from VH up State Road, you would go right on North Road, pass Tea Lane on the left, pass the firehouse on the right, pass the North Tabor Farm Road and the farm stand on your left, and then turn left onto TABOR HOUSE ROAD. Middle Line Road is the first left off of Tabor House Road. It is alongside the dump. It is a dirt road, though the entrance is paved. The name of the road is on a large rock. There is a Landbank sign as well for Middle Ridge Trail. If you get to the landfill you’ve gone a bit too far.
Marion’s Way is the FIRST RIGHT off of Middle Line Road. Go down Middle Line Road at least a mile. You’ll pass Molly’s Lane on the left. It looks like the road forks, Molly’s lane is so large, and the sign for Molly’s Lane is on a boulder to the right of Molly’s lane, in between the two roads. Continue right on Middle Line Road (passing the boulder on your left) and the next right is Marion’s Way. Our home is the first left off of Marion’s Way.
If you are coming from Middle Road, turn onto Tabor House, and Middle Line Road is the right immediately after the Chilmark landfill on the right.
VISUALS
Heather Goff Folk Tiles
Email: heathergoffpottery@gmail.com
Phone: 508-955-9944
Instagram: @heathergoffpottery
Working from her home/studio in Chilmark, MA on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Heather Goff handcrafts decorative, functional pottery, and tiles. She also collaborates on custom commissions for home installations and gifts. You can learn more about her process and see her work at https://heathergoffpottery.com
Bill O’Callaghan
Email: madpottermv2@gmail.com
Phone: 508-560-4169
Instagram: @madpottermv
Born in Cork City Ireland in 1960, Folk Artist, Bill O’Callaghan (the Mad Potter) came to Martha’s Vineyard in his 20s. The island offered many opportunities for an inquisitive young man who had grown up riding horses bareback and running through the woods. Bill worked briefly at Chilmark Pottery, and also as a mason and carpenter.
Driven by a need to create and an extraordinary vision, Bill applies all of his acquired skills in his fanciful creations. His work is inspired by natural materials that he finds on the island shores, and a rich imagination fueled by the Irish folklore that he grew up with.
Learn more about his work at: https://madpottermv.com
Follow us on Instagram.
Our new puppy is 11 weeks old!
Our pottery shop is open today from 11-5. The sculpture trail is open daily 9-5 May-November.
Hanging out with his new puppy.
We have had some productive glazing days. A full kiln of Bill’s sculptures is firing and Heather is loading up a smaller kiln of painted mugs.
Detail of work in progress
Bill’s glaze kiln turned out beautifully!!
We need your help. Ever since we opened, dozens of potential visitors have been misdirected by the iPhone maps app to Marjo’s way instead of Marion’s way when trying to find us. I just figured out how to submit a correction through the app. The more people who submit the correction, the faster the map might get updated. If you have an iPhone and a spare 5 minutes, could you please type in Island Folk Pottery? And then scroll to the bottom of the screen where it says “report an issue”? On the next screen, please correct the address to be 16 Marion's Way, Chilmark, MA 02535. And then hit submit. 😊 if you are familiar with Chilmark, feel free to drag the map icon to the correct location, but I think correcting the address will be enough. THANK YOU!!
Loading a glaze kiln of Bill’s small sculptures is a fun puzzle! I try to fit as many as I can without any touching. If they touch, the glazes will meld together and they’ll stick to each other. I just turned the kiln on and we will be unloading on Monday.
Yesterday, Bill and I had a potluck, pizza party wedding. With the help of friends and family, we gathered tables and benches, strung lights, and transformed Island Folk Pottery into a sparkling stage for joyful celebration. I made the pizza dough and Bill manned the outdoor oven. Delicious food was contributed by all. We could not have asked for a more perfect day. I am so grateful for the teamwork that helped to make our wedding truly special.
Our shop is going to be closed all day on September 11, 2021. We will be open Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13 from 11-5. Our sculpture trail is open every day from 9-5.
Our shop is open until 5 today, Labor Day, and Bill is working on a new sculpture. Stop by, walk the trail, and say hello. 😊
It's a beautiful day to sculpt in clay.
Three blue for Bill! Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair
Views in the shop this morning.
Some of Heather’s new work going out in the shop today.
Bill creating new musicians.
Loading lots of fun and fantastical creations by Bill (The Mad Potter) into the glaze kiln.
Two of our grandchildren on the trail.
She has found her spot on the sculpture trail. Come by and see if you can find her. 😊
Heather just unloaded a glaze kiln that has a new creature for the sculpture trail and some eyes for the shop. The shop is open 2-5 on July 4th. The trail is open 9-5.
Bill has some new fabulous work in the shop!
A wolf teapot and mug, fresh from the kiln
I love June! The wildflowers are in full bloom and the bird song is so sweet!
Some of Bill’s new work. 💕
Heather sculpting a new creature for our Sculpture Trail
Welcome to the 2021 season. This short video shows some new additions that we have added for our wonderful visitors.
We have a porta-potty available now for the comfort of visitors to the sculpture trail and pottery shop. Many thanks to the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council and to our patrons on Patreon for their contributions towards the cost. 😊
An evening walk at Lucy Vincent Beach to clear our thoughts.
We are open for the season! The sculpture trail is open daily from 9-5. The pottery shop hours are Wednesday- Saturday from 11-5 and Sundays from 2-5. We look forward to seeing you!
Bill’s first kayak venture of the season. He goes out on the water to clear his head.
Our trail opens Memorial Day weekend. Bill has been creating some wonderful new sculptures this winter. We can’t wait to share them with you.
A memory from the past - 2 summers ago. Our oldest granddaughter on the sculpture trail.
The calm before the storm.
Bill is working on an amazing new sculpture!! Check out the stature of this regal and benevolent figure!!
