Mullins hopes to be ‘community clay center’ for Sheridan

Stephen Mullins opened his Red Bison Studio with the desire to be a community clay center for Sheridan.

Before COVID-19 forced the shutdown last year, Mullins taught one or two pottery classes a week. He said at the beginning, he had a membership program as well, but rising production led to space and time conflicts between members and production, so he pulled back on membership and continued the classes.

The COVID pandemic ended that. Mullins said he hasn’t done a class since last summer. But, he said, he’d like to get the classes going again in about a month. And in the meantime, he said, Red Bison Studio has been focused on growing the production line along with the e-commerce, wholesale and retail sides of the business.

Mullins said Red Bison now works with people on the West Coast, in California, Washington and Oregon, and he recently sent a bunch of pots to Maine and Vermont. He said he’s received orders from across the U.S., including Alaska, and Canada.

He said probably 80 to 90 percent of the pots for sale in the shop are made in the shop, but he also carries pottery by other artists in Wyoming, including Rod Dugal, who teaches ceramics at Sheridan College, and Big Horn ceramics artist Elaine Henry.

Red Bison Studio officially opened in downtown Sheridan in June 2018. The business is a past recipient of the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award of Excellence.