Joe Bennion

Renowned potter Joe Bennion creates functional pieces of pottery, specifically designed for food use. His studio, Horseshoe Mountain Pottery, is located in Spring City, Utah. His functional wares are also collectible and are housed in museums.

He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at Brigham Young University. Joe is married to artist Lee Udall Bennion and they live in Spring City, Utah. They are parents of three daughters.

Demand for Bennion’s bread baker surged during the pandemic. The bread baker can be described as a Dutch Oven made of clay and the bread cooked inside ends up with a perfect crust.[1] [2] Although he has a website, his pieces are only sold out of his studio.

Deseret News columnist Lee Benson profiled the Bennions in 2014. He wrote: “They’ve never been rich, money-wise. For years Joe commuted back and forth to Provo — 140 miles a day — to make ends meet by teaching ceramic arts to college students. They’ve milked cows, sent out tax notices, driven a school bus — you name it. In 1994, after a “mesmerizing” river trip down the Grand Canyon, they bought their own raft and Joe became a certified Grand Canyon river guide (he’s guided 51 trips so far, and counting). Lee sells a skin salve she makes — Mom’s Stuff — that has turned into something of an Internet sensation (momsstuffsalve.com). That’s in addition to their art.”[3]