Meet the Makers of the Western Catskills: 5 Artisans Keeping the Rural Economy Alive |
From woodworkers in Phoenicia to potters in West Shokan — the people building Ulster County's creative economy |
Drive Route 28 past Woodstock into the western Catskills and you'll find something unexpected: a thriving maker economy. Not galleries selling tourist tchotchkes, but working studios where people are building real things — furniture, pottery, fiber, food — and selling them to customers who drive three hours to find them.
The Potter in West Shokan: 28A Clay
Meredith Nichols and Harry Kunhardt established 28A Clay in 2017 at 4095 Route 28A in West Shokan, where they create wood-fired stoneware pottery shaped by the same geology they live on. Their ash-glazed pots are fired in an anagama-style wood kiln for 3 to 7 days straight. The work explores the potential of local clay, stone, and wood ash, crafting everything from mugs to dinnerware and serveware. No two pieces are alike, and that's the point.
Location: 4095 Route 28A, West Shokan, NY
The Fiber Artist in Tannersville: The Knitting Room
The Knitting Room at 6036 Main Street in Tannersville is a black- and women-owned yarn store and coffee shop built into one. They specialize in indie and hand-dyed brands, curated to fit into your crafting budget. Bring your knitting, crochet, or spinning project and stay for a "crafternoon." The shop has established itself as a place to meet, learn, and share ideas — not just a source for carefully curated yarns and tools.
Location: 6036 Main Street, Tannersville, NY 12485
The Food Producer in Phoenicia: Phoenicia Honey Co.
At 41 Main Street in Phoenicia, Phoenicia Honey Co. creates small-batch food products with locally sourced ingredients. The Queen Bee behind the brand is a chef, beekeeper, and avid gardener whose products are carefully crafted to bring out the best in your food. Everything is made in small batches and filled with locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. Their product line includes honey, hot honey, and other artisan food products that locals and visitors seek out.
Location: 41 Main Street, Phoenicia, NY 12464
The Furniture Builder in Boiceville: Fabulous Furniture
Steve Heller has been creating one-of-a-kind works of art for over 35 years at Fabulous Furniture, 3930 Route 28 in Boiceville. He specializes in exquisite live edge furniture crafted from locally sourced woods including maple, black cherry, and black walnut. The wood remains undyed and unstained so that the tree's natural beauty remains. Heller is perhaps the most high-profile furniture designer in the area thanks to his classic automobile-inspired sculptures showcased like a roadside attraction on Route 28.
Location: 3930 Route 28, Boiceville, NY 12412
The Ceramicist in Woodstock: Lail Design
Brad Lail founded Lail Design in 2016 in Woodstock, creating small-batch, wheel-thrown stoneware from his home studio. A master thrower, Lail crafts minimal speckled kitchenware for home cooks as well as restaurant and coffee shop clients. His collection includes ramen bowls, citrus juicers, berry bowls, and olive oil cruets — all in calming, nature-inspired colors like fawn, bluestone, moss, and rhubarb. "People in the Hudson Valley appreciate food — growing it, eating it, celebrating it — and that's really what my work is about," he says.
Location: Woodstock, NY (home studio)
Why This Matters
These aren't hobbyists. They're full-time makers keeping money in the local economy, employing their neighbors, and drawing tourists who spend at restaurants, gas stations, and inns while they're here. This is what rural economic development actually looks like — not a factory closing, but a network of small studios that can't be shipped overseas.
Support them directly. Buy their work. Visit their studios. The western Catskills are full of people making extraordinary things — and they want you to know where you are when you hold it. |
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The Knitting Room is so good. Went on a Saturday and stayed way longer than I planned. They had a hand-dyed skein in a colorway I've been searching for forever. The coffee was solid too. Worth the drive from Kingston easily.
Diane ForsterThe hand-dyed selection there is really something. I drove from Saugerties a few weeks ago and ended up in a whole conversation about colorwork with one of the owners. Two hours gone just like that. Glad you mentioned the coffee because I didn't even try it, going back for sure.
I appreciate the shoutout to these makers but I'd push back a little on the framing. A lot of these studios are priced for the people driving up from the city, not for locals. The hot honey at Phoenicia Honey is great but it's not exactly in the weekly grocery budget for most folks around here.
carl_upstateFair point, and I've thought about this too. Though I'd say some of the pottery at 28A Clay is actually pretty reasonable for handmade wood-fired work. But yeah, the honey and the furniture are definitely city-budget prices. I think the article is more about the economic model than whether it's accessible to locals.
Been to Fabulous Furniture twice now. Those car sculptures out front stop you in your tracks every single time. Steve's walnut pieces are genuinely stunning. Not cheap but you're buying something that will outlast your house.
Teresa MulveyThose car sculptures are wild. My kids made me pull over the first time we drove past. Never ended up buying anything but we've stopped in twice just to look around. One of those places that feels like it belongs exactly where it is.