November 18, 2025 • 26 mins
Sarah Sunshine of Sarah Sunshine Pottery shares her journey from environmental chaplain to pottery business owner in Black Mountain's vibrant downtown. Her serendipitous path includes taking a pottery class for fun, buying a house with a studio from another potter, and eventually purchasing her Cherry Street storefront after overhearing a conversation in a changing room.
• Originally a chaplain working with environmental activists in West Virginia before discovering pottery at Black Mountain Center for the Arts
• Health crisis in 2012 that temporarily caused blindness led to focusing full-time on pottery to reduce stress
• Purchased her Cherry Street building in October 2021 and opened just one month later
• Named her pottery business after her childhood nickname given by her mother
• Makes everything by hand, including mixing glazes from raw materials
• Black Mountain's economy relies on "generational visitors" who return year after year rather than typical tourists
• Community connection is vital - locals must support the 38 independent restaurants and small businesses
• Emphasizes that Swannanoa, Black Mountain, and Montreat function as one interconnected community despite different governmental structures
Visit Sarah Sunshine Pottery at 105 Cherry Street in downtown Black Mountain or online at sarahsunshinepottery.com.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Exploring the Valley.
This is Cheryl Hyde.
I'm the director of the BlackMountain Swannanoa Chamber of
Commerce and the Black MountainVisitor Center.
On this podcast, I'll be yourguide to the people, places and
stories that make our communityspecial.
Each episode will share theheart of the Swannanoa Valley,
from local businesses and hiddentrails to festivals, history
(00:22):
and the voices of our neighbors.
Whether you're a longtimeresident or a first-time visitor
, you'll find the pride of ourcommunity and the magic of the
mountains right here.
You're listening to Exploringthe Valley, where local pride
meets lasting magic.
You're in for a ride, so buckleup.
So welcome, sarah Sunshine ofSarah Sunshine Pottery.
(00:46):
I always want to call youSunshine, sarah instead of Sarah
Sunshine, but welcome toExploring the Valley and we're
glad to have you today.
Sarah Sunshine Pottery, I'mgoing to get you to tell us a
little bit about your store andhow you got here and all of
those things.
I just wanted to introduce youfirst before we get started.
(01:07):
But tell us a little bit aboutSarah Sunshine Pottery, and I
think you have a new website too, don't you?
I hope to soon.
Yeah, not quite yet, but thankyou for having me, cheryl, this
is fun.
I'm excited.
My name is Sarah Vacasey.
I often lose my last name tothe sunshine.
It is what my mom called me asa baby.
(01:29):
So I've been Sarah Sunshine mywhole life.
I didn't realize theimplications of having that be
started the business soon afterI moved here.
Or I became a potter weeksafter I moved here and love
making pottery.
It's still my favorite thing todo.
And you have your 105 CherryStreet.
(02:02):
I own the building.
I love it.
I love being anchored rightdowntown.
It's delightful.
I love having a store that sellsthings I manufacture by my
hands.
We call it manufacturing.
Yeah, I don't like that word,don't you?
No, because you make them, Imake them.
I'm a maker.
It's like the differencebetween homemade and house-made.
When you're talking about pasta, homemade sounds gross.
(02:24):
I like people to know yeah, Imake it from scratch.
I make every single part.
I make the glazes from rawmaterials.
I throw every single pot on thewheel or hand build it.
We do every part of it by handand I love it.
So my big new project afterHurricane Helene and
(02:48):
experiencing the need for tobuild in a bit of economic
resiliency for my business iswe've been working all year on
product photography and buildinga new website.
What is the name of your?
What is your website address?
Sarahsunshinepotterycom Dot com.
I love it and it's been arounda long time.
(03:08):
It'll just be a much betterwebsite.
What is the name of your?
What is your website address?
Sarahsunshinepotterycom Dot com.
I love it and it's been arounda long time.
It'll just be a much betterwebsite Bigger, better, faster,
stronger, all those things.
Okay, good, good, good.
Yeah, getting Black Mountain tothe digital age.
All right, how did we even meeteach other?
How did I meet you?
Do you even remember?
Because I met you before,helene, I knew who you were.
When I saw you after the storm,I don't know when I saw you at
(03:29):
Gatewood's house, I was so like,wow, cheryl, I know, but I
can't remember why.
Oh, because I went to Wednesday.
Oh, you went to business club.
I went to business club, ofcourse, that's right, black
Mountain Business Club.
And I don't remember how youreally got started here.
(03:59):
Yeah, my father's Park Service.
So I grew up in Glacier Parkand I've always lived in
stunning places, because that'swhat you get to do if you're a
Park Service kid, and so I'velived a lot of places.
As a grown up, I developed anentire form of chaplaincy and
have a career as a chaplain,working with environmental
(04:22):
activists, and I was living inthe coal fields of West Virginia
and working throughout thewhole region of central
Appalachia.
And at one point I came down tosouthern Appalachia when we
drove through from Johnson Citydown to Asheville on 26.
And you see the Blue RidgeMountains and you see how big
(04:44):
they're, bigger right, andthey're different, and I loved
it.
My heart felt very at home andexcited, and so I kept working
in West Virginia and living inSwannanoa, commuting, and the
work, the chaplaincy work, fillsmy cup and I love it and didn't
(05:07):
and doesn't generate any income.
And at the time I just neededsomething.
And so I took a pottery classfor story I wasn't, you know, a
college kid or young In themiddle of a career took a class
(05:27):
for fun at the Black MountainCenter for the Arts oh, cool.
Found an entire community offriends.
Wasn't it in the jail cell?
Isn't that where it is?
Yeah, I think that's so cool.
And the garage where theambulance used to be, that's
cool.
Yes, and they had just startedthat pottery studio.
Yes, and they had just startedthat pottery studio.
I think I was there the secondyear or first, you know like it
had just started.
You're a charter member.
I loved it.
(05:48):
I am a charter member, cool,yeah, all right.
So then, how did you like starta pottery business?
Yeah, how did that happen?
I felt things made sense to meand I wasn't able to stay in the
community studio for longbecause I, right from the
(06:09):
beginning, made too many pots.
I love production pottery andI'm good at centering clay.
It's a lot like centering yourmind.
I am terrible at that.
It's hard, it's a challenge.
Yeah, and, like I said, I neededincome.
So all the people I'm achaplain for started buying my
(06:30):
first pieces of pottery.
That's how I'd make the thingshere in Black Mountain.
I also worked at the dripplelater.
I really, really needed incomeat the time and would carry any
pot I had made in my cute little, a cute little harvest basket
and just put out a sign thatsaid mugs $20.
(06:50):
And people would just, you know, self-serve.
They'd buy their own, theycould wrap their own piece of
pottery and put money in a thatdrift later.
No, sorry, this was somewhereelse.
Sorry, in like Kayford Mountainup in West Virginia and
Kentucky and Tennessee.
Sorry, yeah, because I keptworking in the coal fields for a
couple of years and probablywould still be.
(07:11):
The interesting part of my storyis that a couple years in, I
either needed to buy a house ormove away.
I got no, I mean, I was justthe right age to settle down and
I wasn't sure I was going tostay in Black Mountain and I
found a house for sale from apotter.
(07:32):
No way, I'm not kidding you.
That's so cool.
I've heard that story in othertowns where a potter bought a
house.
I bought a house and a studioBefore I was enough of a potter
to need a studio, right.
My parents helped me finance itand in exchange, half of the
studio was their apartment oh mygoodness.
So when they would come here,they had a place to live and it
(07:54):
was, and is, beautiful.
So I sold the pottery out ofthe studio so it was like a
gallery.
It was all these beautiful pots.
It's a nice little eating area.
Over the years I started to andthen I started doing art shows
right and traveling and buildingthe business.
But why I really became afull-time potter is I got very
(08:17):
sick and that same year, in 2012, I went blind in my left eye.
What Are you still blind?
You didn't know that, did you?
I'm not blind, I can see.
Okay, that's cool, which isincredible.
I went blind overnight and Icouldn't drive and it was like a
medical emergency.
It's the kind of life-changing,altering event and doctors
(08:38):
thought I had MS and lots ofthings and long, complicated
story short, I don't and it'sstill undiagnosed.
But I do different things tokeep my health in check and one
of them was to reduce stressdramatically in my life, which
happened a lot by no longertraveling and I found myself in
(09:02):
a house with a pottery studio.
So I made a lot of pottery.
So when I really launched mybusiness, I had a lot of pottery
to start with and I haven'tever run out really Right that I
keep, yeah.
So now it's been I mean, it'sbeen 15 years.
When did you move to CherryStreet?
When did you open the store?
Yes, so I bought my building inCherry Street oh, I didn't know
(09:24):
that either.
In 2021.
Very cool.
Oh, that is In 2021.
Very cool, yeah.
So before that, a lot of peopleknow where my studio is because
I had spray painted signs thatsay pottery with an arrow and I
would put them out from thefreeway all the way to the
studio.
Perfect, and I loved that.
I don't think it ever occurredto me to own a store that's like
too big, like it didn't occurto me to have my own studio,
(09:46):
right, but that happened.
It happened.
So, on Cherry Street, my storewas, time and again for 34 years
, a delightful clothing andjewelry store owned by Karen
Buell, and she was retiring andgoing out of business, having a
huge sale.
So I was trying on clothes inthe changing room and I heard
(10:07):
her tell a different customerall the details that she was
selling the building, how muchit cost, that there's a basement
and a parking space and allthese things.
And then she said what do youwant to do with it?
And the woman said well, I livein Miami and I want to be a
landlord.
And then she left and I bustout of the changing room.
I was like Karen, please sellthe building to me.
(10:28):
And she's like great, of course, do you have any money?
I was like of course, not.
No.
However, the banks have moneyand I have a thriving business,
I have credit.
And she sold me the building.
That's cool.
So that's how I ended up with astore.
When was that?
It was the very end of COVID,of like the deep COVID pandemic
(10:50):
crisis, so we still had the maskmandate.
Oh good, it's the fall of 2021.
I opened, I closed on thebuilding October 15th and opened
November 14th.
It's a very fast turnaround.
Wow, less than a month, yep,and haven't?
We've been open every day sincePretty much except for huge
snow.
Every day since pretty muchexcept for huge snowstorms, or
(11:11):
you know, helene, yeah, stufflike that, and I love it.
I love being downtown.
I was like one of the newpeople, but now I'm one of the
old people.
That's right.
It happened really fast.
I've also been in town so longand I say this in quotes a
townie, so I know, but youdidn't go to Owen High School, I
(11:33):
sure didn't.
That makes you not townie, Isure don't.
It's Mount Desert Island HighSchool.
I'm quite proud.
There you go.
No, but I hang out in town,right?
So I know all the old businessowners and we're having a big
turnover these days.
So it's interesting because Ihold a lot of that memory of
what has been and am part of thenew crowd, but also the old
(11:55):
crowd, if that makes sense.
Yes, I get it.
And they talk about the oldcrowd All the time.
I heard about a guy named Boogera couple weeks ago.
I have asked people aboutBooger.
That sounds right.
I have learned so much aboutBooger.
He passed away in the 90s but Ifeel like I knew Booger.
I love it.
I love him.
He owned a pharmacy and then heworked at the ABC store when it
first opened and everybody knewand loved Booger.
(12:17):
So I love to talk about peoplewho aren't here anymore.
Exactly, I don't know why.
That's fun to me, but it is.
It is fun Learning BlackMountain.
Our buildings were all builtaround the same time after the
big fire in 21.
And you know I love all thathistory.
I do too.
Where's the oldest street inBlack Mountain, used to be Main
Street?
Oh, I don't know.
Is it Cherry Street?
(12:38):
No, it's probably Sutton, right, long-term district.
Sure, yep, that makes sense.
I love thinking about BlackMountain as this big valley.
We call it the valley, but itdoesn't feel very valley-ish to
me anymore.
It feels in the mountains,until you start thinking what if
(12:58):
I-40 and 70 weren't there?
It's this big, open valley.
Good point, I hadn't thought ofit that way.
Right, very cool.
And we have.
It is cool because, of courseyou center the railroads coming
through, they're bringing allthe passengers and goods and
everything is centered fromthere in terms of building the
town out in either direction.
Do you know why there's onlyhotels on the one side of the
(13:20):
road, on 70?
Don't On 70.
Interesting why?
Because the trains came throughand the embers would come out
and it would burn the buildingson that side, but it never got
to the other side of the roadand they did, in fact.
So that's where the Monta Vistais.
It was there.
There were ones all the wayacross the street from it.
They're gone.
Obviously, where Cove is now wasBlack Mound Inn and it burned
(13:40):
from embers.
That's right, I did know that.
That's interesting.
Yeah, it is.
I learned it from Ken Floyd atthe Monta Vista.
Love it.
There you go, love that.
So one of my favorite thingsthat I've heard you say and I
always claim it and say thatit's mine, but you talk about
(14:01):
that it isn't really thetourists who come here, it's not
just.
I don't know how do you saythat.
Say it Black Mountain'sinteresting because our economy
depends on visitors and dependson people coming with expendable
income and buying things, butthey aren't the same people that
you would generally call atourist.
(14:21):
Our people tend to come yearafter year, generation after
generation.
Either they have a second orthird home in Montreat or
Ridgecrest or they have beengoing to these church camps or
their choir always comes to theconference center.
We have, I think, fourdifferent churches have their
(14:42):
headquarters in this area, andso people have been coming
generationally and then they getin habits as we all do, like oh
, I want to go to thisrestaurant and shop in this
store and go on this hike and,you know, do the things that
make you feel nostalgic.
And so we do have people comein the store that are coming to
(15:02):
Black Mountain for the firsttime, but that's less common.
Mostly people, they're droppingtheir kids off at camp, they're
staying at their family's place, they know what they want to do
, right, right.
And that I would retain thesame customers over.
(15:22):
Now it's been 15 years, right.
So the same people like collectthings over the.
I mean of course they do andI'm so grateful.
It's just I didn't understanduntil I had a store just how
many people in our area return,usually in the summer, pretty
much in the summer and the fall,not so much winter.
Winter it does get quieter,although less and less so.
(15:43):
Yeah, it's changing.
One of the things we're workingon at the Chamber and the
Visitor Center is trying tocoach, teach whatever the right
word is locals that, while wealways say that we rely on
tourists and visitors for ourincome, that if you really do
rely only on tourists, you'llnever make it yeah, 100%.
(16:04):
And so we're trying to trainthem that when they come to
Black Mountain to spend theirmoney in Black Mountain, yes,
that they don't need that littleelectric truck to deliver
everything.
Black Mountain has things thatthey can purchase there.
They have everything prettymuch.
If you look hard enough, wehave it all.
Awesome, black Mountain is socool.
And if you can't find it inBlack Mountain, do you really
need it?
(16:25):
Good question, that's kind ofmy question too.
Now, have I ordered from thatlittle electric truck?
Yes, I have, but only when I'vealready researched and can't
find it anywhere else 100%.
But what I wanted to ask is so,while we do rely on tourists and
visitors to come and spendmoney at Sarah Sunshine Pottery,
how do we get the word to thelocals that it's vital that they
(16:49):
shop with the local stores?
Our local community support?
We need our local community tosupport our local economy.
We aren't separate.
There's this strange funnyfeeling of like oh, those stores
rely on tourists.
Like the stores are separatefrom us.
We are the local economy.
(17:10):
My employees are your neighborsand kids and college students,
and I'm so grateful.
I do have a lot of localshoppers, collectors, as it were
.
Right, because dinnerware isexpensive so you can kind of buy
some over time and keepcollecting.
And without that base, withoutthat sustained base of locals,
(17:36):
I'm not sure what I would do,because I rely on them.
Plus, it's fun, right.
Like I have this tiny littlestore and I throw these big
community events and I try to dothem at times that are less, we
have less visitors and morelocals and we're packed and it's
so much fun.
And that's just because we'repart of the community and we
(17:58):
aren't separate from thecommunity, right.
So I think you needed a bouncerat the deviled egg competition
last year.
I had to be the bouncer.
I didn't even get to try allthe eggs.
I didn't get to try your eggs,it's okay.
I didn't win.
No, you almost won.
I was in fourth place.
I also didn't get to even tallythe votes because there were so
many people that I ended upbeing outside.
Only eight people can come inat once.
(18:19):
Because the store is very small, perfect size.
Thank God, I don't need it tobe bigger.
I make everything in there.
That's right.
That's right.
We wouldn't be able to do thingslike that if we weren't
supported by our neighbors andour friends.
And then, of course, it's ourneighbors and friends that are
bringing their family, andthat's also who our visitors are
.
Right, it's our neighbors'families, it's our relatives',
(18:43):
cousins, or you know.
They heard about the camp andwanted to bring them, you know,
to Crestridge or whatever.
And I find it confusing whenpeople think the visitors and
tourists are separate from us.
They aren't, nope, nope, andthey and or that the businesses
are separate from us, or thatwe're making and selling things
that aren't relevant for ourcommunity's daily lives.
(19:06):
Right, I love creatingbeautiful things for our town
and beautifying homes, makinguseful objects that are in use
every day in this area.
It's awesome.
This is very cool, and I lovegoing to your store.
I go every time I walk by.
You do?
I love it.
I like pop in there.
I'm sure Elizabeth is just likeshe loves it Crazy, but
Elizabeth, my shopkeeper isextraordinary at remembering
(19:27):
names and faces and stories, soshe reports back to me.
She'll be like oh, cheryl camein, uh-oh.
No, it's totally fun, it'sgreat, I love it.
My new favorite is the purpleand royal blue Go on the same
mug.
It's called the Iris.
Excuse me, they all have names.
I didn't know that.
Oh well, you know why they havenames.
Sure, I'd like to For thewebsite.
(19:48):
They have to have names so thatyou can collect, you know.
So it'll look consistent overtime.
That makes sense.
So, do you have the Cherylcollection yet?
Okay, watch out, because I doname them after people sometimes
.
You never.
You never know.
That's right.
Okay, there we go.
(20:08):
That sounds good.
I love it.
Do you have?
Um, oh, I don't even know whatto say.
You can erase this part.
Um, do you have a favorite?
I'm not even going to call it afavorite, because I'm not
allowed to have favorites at thechamber.
You can't have favorites.
You can have things that youreally like, but you can't have
favorites.
Do you have have things thatyou really like, but you can't
have favorites?
Do you have a favorite thingthat you hear from tourists or
visitors?
(20:28):
Notice, I'm calling themseparate.
They're different.
Oh, it's totally different,anyway, from them that they want
to go do over and over and overagain.
You said something about theirhike.
What is the hike that they alltalk about?
I like that.
First, I'll say I, I ask people.
We always ask people when theycome in are you local, are you
visiting?
And sometimes people back, well, I'm sort of visiting from
(20:49):
Fairview or from Asheville.
I'm like okay, yeah, you're.
No, you're local, that's right.
I would say even Hickory, maybeCharlotte, like you didn't fly
here, yeah, okay, but I mean youcan come in the day and enjoy
it, and maybe you come here allthe time.
At any rate, I love askingpeople what their favorite thing
to do is.
(21:10):
And yes, of course, hiking inMontreux.
Of course, greybeard Trail andLookout Trail, if they are
strong enough.
It's so steep Lake Tomahawk isalways a winner.
The restaurants that we've hadfor a long time are beloved,
right, and people come just forthem.
How many locally owned, privatesort of restaurants do we have?
(21:32):
Independent restaurants do wehave in this town?
I don't know.
We have so many.
It's extraordinary.
Take a guess, thirty-two.
Very good, there are 38.
Wow, isn't that amazing?
It's incredible.
That's only the independent.
We only have like 8,000residents are signing.
It's ridiculous.
I freaking love it.
I participate.
I go out all the time.
(21:53):
I participate a lot.
I say that too.
I say that when people come inand ask where do I recommend
they go.
Of course they ask, of course,and then I just interview them
because I don't.
That's what I say.
What are you interested in?
What kind of food would youlike to eat today?
Do you want fine dining?
Do you want quick dine and dash?
Do you want takeout?
And I eat all those things.
(22:15):
I eat everything.
I eat all those options.
I have a personal rule.
It's not a chamber rule, it'sjust.
Cheryl's rule is that I don'tshop or eat anywhere.
That's not a chamber member.
I'm learning to do that too,because of you.
Well, thank you.
But there are a couplerestaurants that I'm dying for
them to be members, because Ireally want to eat there.
They need to sign up.
I know We'll get them.
We'll get them eventually.
But it is funny because I dohave my favorites that I go to
(22:39):
Not that I have favorites, but Ido have my favorites, and I
seem to go to them over and overagain Me too, for sure, but
this week I'm trying to placethem, which is not a tiny list,
though it's pretty big.
It's kind of embarrassing, hardto eat.
Always.
That's what I say to people instore.
I say we are a town that eatsout.
That's right and same likelocal supporting local
businesses.
We are a town that eats, wesupport our eateries.
(23:01):
I assume.
I mean I do.
I hope, I think we're not allfueled by people coming in
temporarily.
We also, I always recognizepeople.
I always see people I knowAlways.
That was one of the things.
When I first moved here, I waskind of sad because I didn't
know anybody and you'd go to thegrocery store or you'd go to a
restaurant or something and Ididn't know a soul.
Now, if I want to hide, I haveto leave town 100% and you can't
(23:25):
even go to Asheville, you'vegot to go the other way, like
all the way to Hickory.
Marian is becoming my hidingplace.
Not to tell anybody that,because that you know would be a
secret, yeah, there.
Anyway, I am really glad thatyou came in today.
Is there anything you want toshare about Black Mountain,
swannanoa, the Swannanoa Valleyor anything like that that
(23:45):
stands out that you're just,that's your.
When you think about here.
When you think about home, whatdo you think about?
I love living here.
I love.
I've always thought this is aplace people love living.
That's something I really enjoyabout it.
Since the hurricane it has feltimportant to me to push back a
(24:07):
bit on this strange separationof identities between Swannanoa
and Black Mountain.
We are one community.
We have one high school.
We have one middle school.
My employees live in Swannanoa.
I used to live in Swannanoa.
It does not feel different thanBlack Mountain.
We have a differentgovernmental structure, but not
even much different.
We're the same county.
(24:27):
That's right.
So actually the geographicboundaries of the chamber make
more sense to me as, like thecommunity, I live in Ridge Crest
Crest Ridge, all the way upRoute 9.
Black Mountain technically goesto Broad River.
It goes so far.
Did you know there's a bat cave, two flat creek roads in Black
(24:47):
Mountain?
Oh, totally, 100%, totallyseparate.
So different, very differentareas I don't really understand.
Totally confusing, yeah, andall the incredible hollers and
just areas throughout thisregion.
When I first moved here we didfeel like one community and I
want us to continue that andfeed on that more and build that
(25:09):
more.
Anytime we try to put upseparation just seems like a
mistake.
There aren't that many of us we, you know, the more of us work
together, the better.
When I first got here, somebodysaid we need to build a bridge
between Swannanoa and BlackMountain and I said no, we don't
.
There's a bridge already there.
We need a footpath.
We need people going back andforth and we need them to.
(25:30):
There's not even there's no,there's a footpath, there's no
bridge needed.
I shop at all those places andeat at all those places, as if
it's Not, as if it is where Ilive.
I know it's just, and it'swhere I walk my dog and it's
where all of it Anyway.
Anyway, well, thank you forcoming.
And Montreat too.
Sorry for not saying that, butyes, I go there every.
I used to go there every dayand walk my dog.
(25:51):
I love Montreat, that's where Ilive.
I love Montreat, that's where Ilive.
Yep, thanks for joining us onExploring the Valley.
Until next time, keepcelebrating the pride of our
community and discovering themagic of the mountains.
In the meantime, you're free tomove about the valley.
Welcome to Exploring the Valley.
This is Cheryl Hyde.
I'm the director of the BlackMountain Swannanoa Chamber of
Commerce and the Black MountainVisitor Center.
On this podcast, I'll be yourguide to the people, places and
stories that make our communityspecial.
Each episode will share theheart of the Swannanoa Valley,
from local businesses and hiddentrails to festivals, history
(00:22):
and the voices of our neighbors.
Whether you're a longtimeresident or a first-time visitor
, you'll find the pride of ourcommunity and the magic of the
mountains right here.
You're listening to Exploringthe Valley, where local pride
meets lasting magic.
You're in for a ride, so buckleup.
So welcome, sarah Sunshine ofSarah Sunshine Pottery.
(00:46):
I always want to call youSunshine, sarah instead of Sarah
Sunshine, but welcome toExploring the Valley and we're
glad to have you today.
Sarah Sunshine Pottery, I'mgoing to get you to tell us a
little bit about your store andhow you got here and all of
those things.
I just wanted to introduce youfirst before we get started.
(01:07):
But tell us a little bit aboutSarah Sunshine Pottery, and I
think you have a new website too, don't you?
I hope to soon.
Yeah, not quite yet, but thankyou for having me, cheryl, this
is fun.
I'm excited.
My name is Sarah Vacasey.
I often lose my last name tothe sunshine.
It is what my mom called me asa baby.
(01:29):
So I've been Sarah Sunshine mywhole life.
I didn't realize theimplications of having that be
started the business soon afterI moved here.
Or I became a potter weeksafter I moved here and love
making pottery.
It's still my favorite thing todo.
And you have your 105 CherryStreet.
(02:02):
I own the building.
I love it.
I love being anchored rightdowntown.
It's delightful.
I love having a store that sellsthings I manufacture by my
hands.
We call it manufacturing.
Yeah, I don't like that word,don't you?
No, because you make them, Imake them.
I'm a maker.
It's like the differencebetween homemade and house-made.
When you're talking about pasta, homemade sounds gross.
(02:24):
I like people to know yeah, Imake it from scratch.
I make every single part.
I make the glazes from rawmaterials.
I throw every single pot on thewheel or hand build it.
We do every part of it by handand I love it.
So my big new project afterHurricane Helene and
(02:48):
experiencing the need for tobuild in a bit of economic
resiliency for my business iswe've been working all year on
product photography and buildinga new website.
What is the name of your?
What is your website address?
Sarahsunshinepotterycom Dot com.
I love it and it's been arounda long time.
(03:08):
It'll just be a much betterwebsite.
What is the name of your?
What is your website address?
Sarahsunshinepotterycom Dot com.
I love it and it's been arounda long time.
It'll just be a much betterwebsite Bigger, better, faster,
stronger, all those things.
Okay, good, good, good.
Yeah, getting Black Mountain tothe digital age.
All right, how did we even meeteach other?
How did I meet you?
Do you even remember?
Because I met you before,helene, I knew who you were.
When I saw you after the storm,I don't know when I saw you at
(03:29):
Gatewood's house, I was so like,wow, cheryl, I know, but I
can't remember why.
Oh, because I went to Wednesday.
Oh, you went to business club.
I went to business club, ofcourse, that's right, black
Mountain Business Club.
And I don't remember how youreally got started here.
(03:59):
Yeah, my father's Park Service.
So I grew up in Glacier Parkand I've always lived in
stunning places, because that'swhat you get to do if you're a
Park Service kid, and so I'velived a lot of places.
As a grown up, I developed anentire form of chaplaincy and
have a career as a chaplain,working with environmental
(04:22):
activists, and I was living inthe coal fields of West Virginia
and working throughout thewhole region of central
Appalachia.
And at one point I came down tosouthern Appalachia when we
drove through from Johnson Citydown to Asheville on 26.
And you see the Blue RidgeMountains and you see how big
(04:44):
they're, bigger right, andthey're different, and I loved
it.
My heart felt very at home andexcited, and so I kept working
in West Virginia and living inSwannanoa, commuting, and the
work, the chaplaincy work, fillsmy cup and I love it and didn't
(05:07):
and doesn't generate any income.
And at the time I just neededsomething.
And so I took a pottery classfor story I wasn't, you know, a
college kid or young In themiddle of a career took a class
(05:27):
for fun at the Black MountainCenter for the Arts oh, cool.
Found an entire community offriends.
Wasn't it in the jail cell?
Isn't that where it is?
Yeah, I think that's so cool.
And the garage where theambulance used to be, that's
cool.
Yes, and they had just startedthat pottery studio.
Yes, and they had just startedthat pottery studio.
I think I was there the secondyear or first, you know like it
had just started.
You're a charter member.
I loved it.
(05:48):
I am a charter member, cool,yeah, all right.
So then, how did you like starta pottery business?
Yeah, how did that happen?
I felt things made sense to meand I wasn't able to stay in the
community studio for longbecause I, right from the
(06:09):
beginning, made too many pots.
I love production pottery andI'm good at centering clay.
It's a lot like centering yourmind.
I am terrible at that.
It's hard, it's a challenge.
Yeah, and, like I said, I neededincome.
So all the people I'm achaplain for started buying my
(06:30):
first pieces of pottery.
That's how I'd make the thingshere in Black Mountain.
I also worked at the dripplelater.
I really, really needed incomeat the time and would carry any
pot I had made in my cute little, a cute little harvest basket
and just put out a sign thatsaid mugs $20.
(06:50):
And people would just, you know, self-serve.
They'd buy their own, theycould wrap their own piece of
pottery and put money in a thatdrift later.
No, sorry, this was somewhereelse.
Sorry, in like Kayford Mountainup in West Virginia and
Kentucky and Tennessee.
Sorry, yeah, because I keptworking in the coal fields for a
couple of years and probablywould still be.
(07:11):
The interesting part of my storyis that a couple years in, I
either needed to buy a house ormove away.
I got no, I mean, I was justthe right age to settle down and
I wasn't sure I was going tostay in Black Mountain and I
found a house for sale from apotter.
(07:32):
No way, I'm not kidding you.
That's so cool.
I've heard that story in othertowns where a potter bought a
house.
I bought a house and a studioBefore I was enough of a potter
to need a studio, right.
My parents helped me finance itand in exchange, half of the
studio was their apartment oh mygoodness.
So when they would come here,they had a place to live and it
(07:54):
was, and is, beautiful.
So I sold the pottery out ofthe studio so it was like a
gallery.
It was all these beautiful pots.
It's a nice little eating area.
Over the years I started to andthen I started doing art shows
right and traveling and buildingthe business.
But why I really became afull-time potter is I got very
(08:17):
sick and that same year, in 2012, I went blind in my left eye.
What Are you still blind?
You didn't know that, did you?
I'm not blind, I can see.
Okay, that's cool, which isincredible.
I went blind overnight and Icouldn't drive and it was like a
medical emergency.
It's the kind of life-changing,altering event and doctors
(08:38):
thought I had MS and lots ofthings and long, complicated
story short, I don't and it'sstill undiagnosed.
But I do different things tokeep my health in check and one
of them was to reduce stressdramatically in my life, which
happened a lot by no longertraveling and I found myself in
(09:02):
a house with a pottery studio.
So I made a lot of pottery.
So when I really launched mybusiness, I had a lot of pottery
to start with and I haven'tever run out really Right that I
keep, yeah.
So now it's been I mean, it'sbeen 15 years.
When did you move to CherryStreet?
When did you open the store?
Yes, so I bought my building inCherry Street oh, I didn't know
(09:24):
that either.
In 2021.
Very cool.
Oh, that is In 2021.
Very cool, yeah.
So before that, a lot of peopleknow where my studio is because
I had spray painted signs thatsay pottery with an arrow and I
would put them out from thefreeway all the way to the
studio.
Perfect, and I loved that.
I don't think it ever occurredto me to own a store that's like
too big, like it didn't occurto me to have my own studio,
(09:46):
right, but that happened.
It happened.
So, on Cherry Street, my storewas, time and again for 34 years
, a delightful clothing andjewelry store owned by Karen
Buell, and she was retiring andgoing out of business, having a
huge sale.
So I was trying on clothes inthe changing room and I heard
(10:07):
her tell a different customerall the details that she was
selling the building, how muchit cost, that there's a basement
and a parking space and allthese things.
And then she said what do youwant to do with it?
And the woman said well, I livein Miami and I want to be a
landlord.
And then she left and I bustout of the changing room.
I was like Karen, please sellthe building to me.
(10:28):
And she's like great, of course, do you have any money?
I was like of course, not.
No.
However, the banks have moneyand I have a thriving business,
I have credit.
And she sold me the building.
That's cool.
So that's how I ended up with astore.
When was that?
It was the very end of COVID,of like the deep COVID pandemic
(10:50):
crisis, so we still had the maskmandate.
Oh good, it's the fall of 2021.
I opened, I closed on thebuilding October 15th and opened
November 14th.
It's a very fast turnaround.
Wow, less than a month, yep,and haven't?
We've been open every day sincePretty much except for huge
snow.
Every day since pretty muchexcept for huge snowstorms, or
(11:11):
you know, helene, yeah, stufflike that, and I love it.
I love being downtown.
I was like one of the newpeople, but now I'm one of the
old people.
That's right.
It happened really fast.
I've also been in town so longand I say this in quotes a
townie, so I know, but youdidn't go to Owen High School, I
(11:33):
sure didn't.
That makes you not townie, Isure don't.
It's Mount Desert Island HighSchool.
I'm quite proud.
There you go.
No, but I hang out in town,right?
So I know all the old businessowners and we're having a big
turnover these days.
So it's interesting because Ihold a lot of that memory of
what has been and am part of thenew crowd, but also the old
(11:55):
crowd, if that makes sense.
Yes, I get it.
And they talk about the oldcrowd All the time.
I heard about a guy named Boogera couple weeks ago.
I have asked people aboutBooger.
That sounds right.
I have learned so much aboutBooger.
He passed away in the 90s but Ifeel like I knew Booger.
I love it.
I love him.
He owned a pharmacy and then heworked at the ABC store when it
first opened and everybody knewand loved Booger.
(12:17):
So I love to talk about peoplewho aren't here anymore.
Exactly, I don't know why.
That's fun to me, but it is.
It is fun Learning BlackMountain.
Our buildings were all builtaround the same time after the
big fire in 21.
And you know I love all thathistory.
I do too.
Where's the oldest street inBlack Mountain, used to be Main
Street?
Oh, I don't know.
Is it Cherry Street?
(12:38):
No, it's probably Sutton, right, long-term district.
Sure, yep, that makes sense.
I love thinking about BlackMountain as this big valley.
We call it the valley, but itdoesn't feel very valley-ish to
me anymore.
It feels in the mountains,until you start thinking what if
(12:58):
I-40 and 70 weren't there?
It's this big, open valley.
Good point, I hadn't thought ofit that way.
Right, very cool.
And we have.
It is cool because, of courseyou center the railroads coming
through, they're bringing allthe passengers and goods and
everything is centered fromthere in terms of building the
town out in either direction.
Do you know why there's onlyhotels on the one side of the
(13:20):
road, on 70?
Don't On 70.
Interesting why?
Because the trains came throughand the embers would come out
and it would burn the buildingson that side, but it never got
to the other side of the roadand they did, in fact.
So that's where the Monta Vistais.
It was there.
There were ones all the wayacross the street from it.
They're gone.
Obviously, where Cove is now wasBlack Mound Inn and it burned
(13:40):
from embers.
That's right, I did know that.
That's interesting.
Yeah, it is.
I learned it from Ken Floyd atthe Monta Vista.
Love it.
There you go, love that.
So one of my favorite thingsthat I've heard you say and I
always claim it and say thatit's mine, but you talk about
(14:01):
that it isn't really thetourists who come here, it's not
just.
I don't know how do you saythat.
Say it Black Mountain'sinteresting because our economy
depends on visitors and dependson people coming with expendable
income and buying things, butthey aren't the same people that
you would generally call atourist.
(14:21):
Our people tend to come yearafter year, generation after
generation.
Either they have a second orthird home in Montreat or
Ridgecrest or they have beengoing to these church camps or
their choir always comes to theconference center.
We have, I think, fourdifferent churches have their
(14:42):
headquarters in this area, andso people have been coming
generationally and then they getin habits as we all do, like oh
, I want to go to thisrestaurant and shop in this
store and go on this hike and,you know, do the things that
make you feel nostalgic.
And so we do have people comein the store that are coming to
(15:02):
Black Mountain for the firsttime, but that's less common.
Mostly people, they're droppingtheir kids off at camp, they're
staying at their family's place, they know what they want to do
, right, right.
And that I would retain thesame customers over.
(15:22):
Now it's been 15 years, right.
So the same people like collectthings over the.
I mean of course they do andI'm so grateful.
It's just I didn't understanduntil I had a store just how
many people in our area return,usually in the summer, pretty
much in the summer and the fall,not so much winter.
Winter it does get quieter,although less and less so.
(15:43):
Yeah, it's changing.
One of the things we're workingon at the Chamber and the
Visitor Center is trying tocoach, teach whatever the right
word is locals that, while wealways say that we rely on
tourists and visitors for ourincome, that if you really do
rely only on tourists, you'llnever make it yeah, 100%.
(16:04):
And so we're trying to trainthem that when they come to
Black Mountain to spend theirmoney in Black Mountain, yes,
that they don't need that littleelectric truck to deliver
everything.
Black Mountain has things thatthey can purchase there.
They have everything prettymuch.
If you look hard enough, wehave it all.
Awesome, black Mountain is socool.
And if you can't find it inBlack Mountain, do you really
need it?
(16:25):
Good question, that's kind ofmy question too.
Now, have I ordered from thatlittle electric truck?
Yes, I have, but only when I'vealready researched and can't
find it anywhere else 100%.
But what I wanted to ask is so,while we do rely on tourists and
visitors to come and spendmoney at Sarah Sunshine Pottery,
how do we get the word to thelocals that it's vital that they
(16:49):
shop with the local stores?
Our local community support?
We need our local community tosupport our local economy.
We aren't separate.
There's this strange funnyfeeling of like oh, those stores
rely on tourists.
Like the stores are separatefrom us.
We are the local economy.
(17:10):
My employees are your neighborsand kids and college students,
and I'm so grateful.
I do have a lot of localshoppers, collectors, as it were
.
Right, because dinnerware isexpensive so you can kind of buy
some over time and keepcollecting.
And without that base, withoutthat sustained base of locals,
(17:36):
I'm not sure what I would do,because I rely on them.
Plus, it's fun, right.
Like I have this tiny littlestore and I throw these big
community events and I try to dothem at times that are less, we
have less visitors and morelocals and we're packed and it's
so much fun.
And that's just because we'repart of the community and we
(17:58):
aren't separate from thecommunity, right.
So I think you needed a bouncerat the deviled egg competition
last year.
I had to be the bouncer.
I didn't even get to try allthe eggs.
I didn't get to try your eggs,it's okay.
I didn't win.
No, you almost won.
I was in fourth place.
I also didn't get to even tallythe votes because there were so
many people that I ended upbeing outside.
Only eight people can come inat once.
(18:19):
Because the store is very small, perfect size.
Thank God, I don't need it tobe bigger.
I make everything in there.
That's right.
That's right.
We wouldn't be able to do thingslike that if we weren't
supported by our neighbors andour friends.
And then, of course, it's ourneighbors and friends that are
bringing their family, andthat's also who our visitors are
.
Right, it's our neighbors'families, it's our relatives',
(18:43):
cousins, or you know.
They heard about the camp andwanted to bring them, you know,
to Crestridge or whatever.
And I find it confusing whenpeople think the visitors and
tourists are separate from us.
They aren't, nope, nope, andthey and or that the businesses
are separate from us, or thatwe're making and selling things
that aren't relevant for ourcommunity's daily lives.
(19:06):
Right, I love creatingbeautiful things for our town
and beautifying homes, makinguseful objects that are in use
every day in this area.
It's awesome.
This is very cool, and I lovegoing to your store.
I go every time I walk by.
You do?
I love it.
I like pop in there.
I'm sure Elizabeth is just likeshe loves it Crazy, but
Elizabeth, my shopkeeper isextraordinary at remembering
(19:27):
names and faces and stories, soshe reports back to me.
She'll be like oh, cheryl camein, uh-oh.
No, it's totally fun, it'sgreat, I love it.
My new favorite is the purpleand royal blue Go on the same
mug.
It's called the Iris.
Excuse me, they all have names.
I didn't know that.
Oh well, you know why they havenames.
Sure, I'd like to For thewebsite.
(19:48):
They have to have names so thatyou can collect, you know.
So it'll look consistent overtime.
That makes sense.
So, do you have the Cherylcollection yet?
Okay, watch out, because I doname them after people sometimes
.
You never.
You never know.
That's right.
Okay, there we go.
(20:08):
That sounds good.
I love it.
Do you have?
Um, oh, I don't even know whatto say.
You can erase this part.
Um, do you have a favorite?
I'm not even going to call it afavorite, because I'm not
allowed to have favorites at thechamber.
You can't have favorites.
You can have things that youreally like, but you can't have
favorites.
Do you have have things thatyou really like, but you can't
have favorites?
Do you have a favorite thingthat you hear from tourists or
visitors?
(20:28):
Notice, I'm calling themseparate.
They're different.
Oh, it's totally different,anyway, from them that they want
to go do over and over and overagain.
You said something about theirhike.
What is the hike that they alltalk about?
I like that.
First, I'll say I, I ask people.
We always ask people when theycome in are you local, are you
visiting?
And sometimes people back, well, I'm sort of visiting from
(20:49):
Fairview or from Asheville.
I'm like okay, yeah, you're.
No, you're local, that's right.
I would say even Hickory, maybeCharlotte, like you didn't fly
here, yeah, okay, but I mean youcan come in the day and enjoy
it, and maybe you come here allthe time.
At any rate, I love askingpeople what their favorite thing
to do is.
(21:10):
And yes, of course, hiking inMontreux.
Of course, greybeard Trail andLookout Trail, if they are
strong enough.
It's so steep Lake Tomahawk isalways a winner.
The restaurants that we've hadfor a long time are beloved,
right, and people come just forthem.
How many locally owned, privatesort of restaurants do we have?
(21:32):
Independent restaurants do wehave in this town?
I don't know.
We have so many.
It's extraordinary.
Take a guess, thirty-two.
Very good, there are 38.
Wow, isn't that amazing?
It's incredible.
That's only the independent.
We only have like 8,000residents are signing.
It's ridiculous.
I freaking love it.
I participate.
I go out all the time.
(21:53):
I participate a lot.
I say that too.
I say that when people come inand ask where do I recommend
they go.
Of course they ask, of course,and then I just interview them
because I don't.
That's what I say.
What are you interested in?
What kind of food would youlike to eat today?
Do you want fine dining?
Do you want quick dine and dash?
Do you want takeout?
And I eat all those things.
(22:15):
I eat everything.
I eat all those options.
I have a personal rule.
It's not a chamber rule, it'sjust.
Cheryl's rule is that I don'tshop or eat anywhere.
That's not a chamber member.
I'm learning to do that too,because of you.
Well, thank you.
But there are a couplerestaurants that I'm dying for
them to be members, because Ireally want to eat there.
They need to sign up.
I know We'll get them.
We'll get them eventually.
But it is funny because I dohave my favorites that I go to
(22:39):
Not that I have favorites, but Ido have my favorites, and I
seem to go to them over and overagain Me too, for sure, but
this week I'm trying to placethem, which is not a tiny list,
though it's pretty big.
It's kind of embarrassing, hardto eat.
Always.
That's what I say to people instore.
I say we are a town that eatsout.
That's right and same likelocal supporting local
businesses.
We are a town that eats, wesupport our eateries.
(23:01):
I assume.
I mean I do.
I hope, I think we're not allfueled by people coming in
temporarily.
We also, I always recognizepeople.
I always see people I knowAlways.
That was one of the things.
When I first moved here, I waskind of sad because I didn't
know anybody and you'd go to thegrocery store or you'd go to a
restaurant or something and Ididn't know a soul.
Now, if I want to hide, I haveto leave town 100% and you can't
(23:25):
even go to Asheville, you'vegot to go the other way, like
all the way to Hickory.
Marian is becoming my hidingplace.
Not to tell anybody that,because that you know would be a
secret, yeah, there.
Anyway, I am really glad thatyou came in today.
Is there anything you want toshare about Black Mountain,
swannanoa, the Swannanoa Valleyor anything like that that
(23:45):
stands out that you're just,that's your.
When you think about here.
When you think about home, whatdo you think about?
I love living here.
I love.
I've always thought this is aplace people love living.
That's something I really enjoyabout it.
Since the hurricane it has feltimportant to me to push back a
(24:07):
bit on this strange separationof identities between Swannanoa
and Black Mountain.
We are one community.
We have one high school.
We have one middle school.
My employees live in Swannanoa.
I used to live in Swannanoa.
It does not feel different thanBlack Mountain.
We have a differentgovernmental structure, but not
even much different.
We're the same county.
(24:27):
That's right.
So actually the geographicboundaries of the chamber make
more sense to me as, like thecommunity, I live in Ridge Crest
Crest Ridge, all the way upRoute 9.
Black Mountain technically goesto Broad River.
It goes so far.
Did you know there's a bat cave, two flat creek roads in Black
(24:47):
Mountain?
Oh, totally, 100%, totallyseparate.
So different, very differentareas I don't really understand.
Totally confusing, yeah, andall the incredible hollers and
just areas throughout thisregion.
When I first moved here we didfeel like one community and I
want us to continue that andfeed on that more and build that
(25:09):
more.
Anytime we try to put upseparation just seems like a
mistake.
There aren't that many of us we, you know, the more of us work
together, the better.
When I first got here, somebodysaid we need to build a bridge
between Swannanoa and BlackMountain and I said no, we don't
.
There's a bridge already there.
We need a footpath.
We need people going back andforth and we need them to.
(25:30):
There's not even there's no,there's a footpath, there's no
bridge needed.
I shop at all those places andeat at all those places, as if
it's Not, as if it is where Ilive.
I know it's just, and it'swhere I walk my dog and it's
where all of it Anyway.
Anyway, well, thank you forcoming.
And Montreat too.
Sorry for not saying that, butyes, I go there every.
I used to go there every dayand walk my dog.
(25:51):
I love Montreat, that's where Ilive.
I love Montreat, that's where Ilive.
Yep, thanks for joining us onExploring the Valley.
Until next time, keepcelebrating the pride of our
community and discovering themagic of the mountains.
In the meantime, you're free tomove about the valley.
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Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com