Dan Finch

Although he was born in neighboring Wilson County, Daniel Rodney Finch has spent his life around the small community of Bailey in Nash County where he has a pottery studio. His artistic talent and his dedication to teaching others the craft has made his name well known in the art world. After graduating from East Carolina University, Dan attended the Penland School of the Arts for three years. For over 25 years he taught at various schools in the area including Fike High School in Wilson, and both Wilson and Nash Community Colleges, engaging others in learning about art and pottery. In 1991 he earned a Master of Arts from Duke University. He continues to host workshops at his shop in Bailey. His work has been shown at museums and exhibitions throughout the southeast, especially in Seagrove, the pottery center of North Carolina. His outstanding pottery has been in exhibits in Baltimore and New Orleans, as well as all over the state. He has taught special workshops from Virginia to Connecticut. He was featured in Our State magazine in 2002 and several times in the journal Clay Times. He has served on the advisory board at the NC State Fair, and for five years was president of the Village of Yesteryear at the State Fair where he also exhibited for many years. In addition to his fine pottery work, he is also known in the nursery business having traveled to Spain, Chile, Mexico, and Argentina as a blueberry consultant. He served two six-year terms on the North Carolina Board of Agriculture. Dan has served as both president and as a director of the North Carolina Association of Nurserymen. He was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the nursery industry with the D.S. Copeland Award from the NC Association of Nurserymen in 1995. As if pots and plants were not enough to keep him occupied, Dan is also the President of Homes for Bluebirds, a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation of bluebirds, established by his late father, Jack Finch. He is recognized by many in the community as the bluebird man.

Inducted into Hall of Fame 2010