About

Hi there!

I’m Erin, the artist behind Byrd in Hand. I started making pottery four years ago while living abroad in Grenoble, France as a way to find connection and self-expression when foreign words eluded me. These days, I live in Bentonville, Arkansas where I throw pots in my home studio where I live with my husband, four cats, and dog. 

Byrd in Hand is named for my grandmother, Janet Byrd, who collected Gordy pottery and shared her love of folk art with me. She's a real Georgia peach who, at 96 years young, watches videos from my studio on her iPad and always asks about functionality before thinking about design. I'm so proud to preserve her name in my work.

I believe that art is what makes us human and have witnessed how it drives connection across languages and beliefs. The world seems to need a whole lot more of that these days. Even more, I think about how art has fueled systemic change and how I can use my own art to fund change in my own community and our world at large. That’s why I donate a portion of all purchases to a rotating selection of nonprofits. In the past that has included the Equal Justice Initiative, Trans Lifeline, and the National Audubon Society.  

Welcome, I'm so glad you're here.