Kent was superbly gifted, unassuming, giving, resourceful, handsome, intelligent, friendly, charming, adventurous, creative, fun, kind and loving.

He led a life of fullness and abundance. Things came naturally to him. He loved to share his knowledge - talking pots, building kilns, developing glazes and making true connections wherever he went. His pots were effortless and he talked about them in a humble, easy way. Kent was a prolific tinkerer and used his extensive skills and boundless craftsmanship to renovate their farmhouse, to build their studio, and to design and build both salt and reduction kilns. 

Kent was known for working in both stoneware and porcelain clays fired in gas reduction kilns. He used traditional glazes, including celadons, shinos, iron reds, and warm yellows. Using his own hand made deer tail brushes and wax resist, he layered glazes in patterns and generous broad strokes of the brush.   For several years, his curious nature had him using waste oil burners on his gas reduction kiln and he even taught a Penland concentration class focusing on this approach. Kent taught at numerous art centers and universities including Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Penland School of Craft, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Anderson Ranch Art Center, University of NC, Pembroke, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute- China, and Curaumilla Art Center- Chile. 

In April of 2021 Kent was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and despite extensive chemotherapy treatments and the prayers of his family and his many, many friends, he succumbed to this aggressive cancer in August of 2021. 

It was always Kent’s dream to create a scholarship specifically for studio potters who make they living selling their work. The Kent McLaughlin Scholarship at Penland School fully funds the recipient’s attendance at a workshop and  also provides a stipend to offset the recipient’s time away from their studio. With tremendous support from his family and from the community that loved him, Kent’s dream was realized and his scholarship was established and awarded for the first time in 2022.