POWELL COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Powell County may be known for the Red River Gorge and world-class rock climbing, but there's also an artistic attraction that may surprise you.
Most days, you'll find Hiltrude Finnigan at her home in the hills outside Clay City.
"I enjoy life," she said. "I enjoy it here in Kentucky. It's really what I wanted."
While Finnigan loves her home in Kentucky, she spent most of her life living elsewhere. Born in 1936 in Berlin, Germany, Finnigan survived World War Two and later experienced the division of Berlin.
"Afterwards I lived in the Russian area," she explained. "And that was not very pleasant, neither one of those experiences."
She moved to the United States in 1962 and had six children. Finnigan was living in New York 40 years ago when she discovered the art of hand-thrown pottery. She started taking night classes after shifts as a translator.
For Finnigan, pottery and painting make sense.
"My grandfather was an artist. My sister was an artist; she married one," she said.
Nearly ten years ago, Finnigan brought her creative talents to Clay City. She decided to settle in Kentucky after selling her home in New York.
Now, she has her very own storefront in her backyard. That's where she displays all of her wheel-thrown, hand-painted pottery created in her house just yards away. She fires each piece in a kiln on her property.
"It makes me very happy," she said. "It's the first time I really have a place to show my pieces."
HK Pottery is open to the public by appointment only. Finnigan hopes more people will make the drive to her rural home.
For now, she has no plans to stop throwing pottery as she celebrates accomplishing a long-time dream at 90 years young.
"I always wanted my own shop, and I finally got it," she said.
Finnigan says the designs are never repeated, making each piece truly one-of-a-kind. To make an appointment to shop, call her at 845-453-7742.
