BOURBON COUNTY ARTISANS

Bourbon County Clay is a woman-owned studio based in Fort Scott, Kansas, with deep roots in the local community. Our team of artisans is committed to creating work that reflects the heritage and natural beauty of Bourbon County. We’re proud of our connection to this region and strive to honor it in every piece we make.

Our artists bring diverse backgrounds and skills to the studio, blending traditional methods with modern techniques. Each piece is inspired by the landscapes and history of Bourbon County, resulting in art that’s grounded in place but fresh in perspective.

Located in the heart of Fort Scott, Bourbon County Clay is led by experienced professionals like Kate Freeman, who has been active in the arts for nearly three decades. Our studio is focused on producing quality, handcrafted pieces that are rooted in our county's rich history.

Andrea Latham

Andrea Latham was born and raised in Kansas. Her ceramic journey started when she was 17 and in need of electives for her associate’s degree. A friend who attended Johnson County Community College with her recommended that she take a semester of ceramics together. Not having actually taken any art classes before, it sounded really exciting to try something new (plus the potter’s wheel looked really cool). Andrea was hooked.

She is drawn to how expressive you can be with clay. You can take an item made for everyday use and turn it into something special that becomes a part of your home—something you can’t buy at the store, “practical art.”

Andrea leans into making things that feel lively, colorful, and hopefully whimsical. She enjoys using a variety of techniques, textures, and colors. Painting on her pots and cups, she feels, adds an extra element of uniqueness that you won’t find in the store.

Building her knowledge and skills over the years has only grown Andrea’s love for pottery and fuels her desire to learn and try more techniques and skills. It has also given her a deeper understanding and appreciation of the verse, “But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8.

Andrea finds so much joy in creating, spending time in the details, and finds it no mistake that our Lord uses this as an example of how He shapes and makes us.

Kate Freeman

Kate Freeman has been working in the arts professionally since 1995. Kate coordinates the marketing and sales for The Artificers, T.E. Freeman Studio & Kate Freeman Studio.

Kate studied Fine Arts at Missouri Western State University and Highland Community College, along with classes at the Carnegie Art Center and other various workshops. She was a member and on the board of the Bonner Springs Art Alliance from 2017-2020.

Kate’s first love is clay but also pushes the limits, expanding her ideas by using other materials and finishes. You can also see Kate behind a brush with a palate of acrylic paint or washing on some lovely watercolor.

Growing up on a farm south of Historical Weston, Missouri has cultivated Kate's love of all creatures and nature, which feeds her inspiration. Many of her pieces incorporate sunsets or rain clouds over open fields that she enjoys in her everyday life. Others are inspired from her far away love of the beach, incorporating oceanic colors, aquatic creatures and centuries old Celtic designs from her visit to Ireland. You can find Kate's sculptures and works in private collections across the midwest.

Trent Freeman

Trent Freeman opened T.E. Freeman Studio in 1997, creating personal sculpture for his clients.



Trent is a graduate from Emporia State University where he earned a Bachelor's degree of Fine Arts in 1995. He also attended Kansas University and studied abroad in Australia. Trent's professional career began shortly upon graduation, creating works that adorn private and public collections across the country, as well as in local galleries and fine-art festivals.

Educating and instructing others has been instrumental to the professional development of Trent's career. Facilitating workshops at colleges, leading continuing education classes for teachers and instructing at the Carnegie Art Center in Leavenworth Kansas, has allowed Trent to hone his own skills and contribute to the development of others. He has been a member and sat on the board of the Bonner Springs Art Alliance in Bonner Springs, Kansas from 2017-2020.

He has instructed privately from his studio for the past 25 years, and continues teaching workshops and private classes today.

Trent enjoys the process of creation, the birth of a new idea, and the contemplation of pulling it all together from the beginning to end of the sculpture. Trent's inspiration stems from Old World and Asian techniques as well as using native woods and recycled glass and metal. Though you will find his pieces are eclectic in design you are sure to see an element you love in every sculpture.