PHOTO · 2017/11/IMG_8446.jpegMax and Kathy Whitley
Max and Kathy Whitley
They met at East Carolina University in the early 1970s, opened a leather shop in Greenville in 1973, and moved the studio to Pink Hill in 1995. Full-time craftspeople ever since. They travel to arts and crafts festivals across four states and have customers all over the world.
Kathy Whitley
Kathy studied art at East Carolina University. She throws stoneware on the wheel, then decorates and glazes each piece with her own glaze formulas before firing in a gas kiln to 2400°F. She carves, etches, paints and pierces the clay. Lamps, teapots, mugs, bowls, vases and ornaments, all lead-free and made for daily use. She has shown with the Coastal Carolina Clay Guild.
Max Whitley
Max starts from unfinished cowhide and cuts each belt himself. Natural patterns are hammered in over weeks, then each strap is polished and fitted. He collects solid brass buckles and makes straps so buckles can be swapped. Bags are wet-formed with brass nails or hand-stitched. Early festival programs list his wooden boxes alongside the belts and bags.
Oral history recordings are coming to this page this fall.
Fifty years on the road.
Kathy studies art and interior design at ECU, graduating in 1971. They start selling at craft shows.
Being confirmed with the family
They open a leather shop in Greenville, North Carolina. The 2023 kiln opening card marks the 50th anniversary of Easy Street Leather & Pottery.
The festival program lists Max Whitley showing leather belts, bags and wooden boxes.
Being confirmed with the family
They move to the property outside Pink Hill where the studio and kiln are today.
Being confirmed with the family
The studio goes online.
The December open studio starts. By 2014 the card reads “6th Annual.”
Being confirmed with the family
A long profile of their history and how they work. Carolina Arts publishes a photograph of Kathy’s work the same year.
Kathy shows with the guild, including sales at the Cameron Art Museum and a 2016 guild exhibition at ECU’s School of Art and Design.
Kathy hosts a workshop at her studio in Pink Hill.
A magazine feature on Max and his leather work.