From places like the Czech Republic, to China, to copious clay pottery figurines and shards. Some of these fragments and artifacts are estimated to date as far back as 29,000 B.C.E. In the ancient cultures such as these, as well as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire, clay pottery was used to make plates, bowls, cups and vessels for storing wine, beer, water and olive oil. In more modern times, local enslaved people were tasked with digging for clay, molding it and baking it into the bricks that built our historic homes.
Visitors can still see the old kiln used for brickmaking at Brickyard Plantation in Mount Pleasant. Today, pottery is a big business in Charleston and every one of our pottery studios are owned by women.
VANESSA STEELE, The Art Place Studio
As founder of The Art Place Studio, Vanessa Steele, quoted from an unknown source, “I believe that when you hold a lump of clay in your hands, you connect with 10,000 years of history. When you fire a pot made of clay, you create 10,000 years of history.” Steele is passionate about teaching ancient craft, helping students to become artists, while building a strong clay community.
“Clay is for everyone,” said Steele, who prides herself on hand-building. “No matter what your skill level is, you’re going to leave here with a piece that you love.”
The Art Place Studio attracts happy people who support each other according to Steele.
To learn more about the only walk-in clay studio in Mount Pleasant, as well as their summer camps and membership programs, visit TheArtPlaceStudio.com.
MARIA WHITE, Mugs for Moms
For independent studio artist Maria White, pottery is just as much a business teaching private students, as it is a way to give back to the community. In 2019, she founded Mugs for Moms, collaborating with licensed therapists to offer free educational clay building workshops – known as muddy meet-ups — as art therapy for women who are struggling to become pregnant, are in the midst of a difficult pregnancy, are suffering from post-partem or are mothers in need. Each student leaves with a ceramic product they created, and a locally made mug to serve as a constant reminder of support and mental health resources in our community. Featured in the Summer 2023 issue of the international publication “Ceramics Monthly,” White said she honors ceramics by passing down the knowledge and techniques that she learned from her mentors as well as from her own experience.
“Treat clay with respect,” White offered, “because it is the earth, after all.”
Although having a career in pottery-making may seem glamorous, White believes the artform is a discipline that needs to be honed through practice.
However, she also testifies that the hard work is worth it because of the joy she experiences when seeing the growth her returning students are making. “Everyone has a voice in clay,” White added, “and there is infinite possibility in it.”
To learn more about White’s work, visit MariaWhite.com.
MYRA BOWIE, Terrace Clay Studio
It never occurred to Myra Bowie, owner of Terrace Clay Studio, that she would start a full-scale pottery studio in retirement. But after Covid, the studio she had belonged to for many years, shuttered its doors. However, potters kept approaching Bowie, so she formulated a plan.
Now, she teaches classes and offers memberships to seasoned potters looking for resources and hobbyists looking for community. She also sells her own pieces at various shows. For Bowie, the greatest joy in her work comes just as much from sitting at the pottery wheel as it does from watching new students learn.
Visit TerraceClayStudio.com to find out more about Bowie’s ceramics.
MICHAELA KUHN, Clay Cottage
With 24-hour access, members are always coming and going at Clay Cottage, where owner Michaela Kuhn and her six teachers offer classes every Monday
through Thursday. With 15 years of experience, Kuhn believes she is the luckiest person in the world and can’t think of anything she would rather do than share her space with 80 potters.
To book your seat at the wheel, call 843-343-8768.
SUSAN GREGORY, Studio Union
Housed in what was once an old upholstery shop, Studio Union offers classes as well as memberships. Its urban vibe is charged with the energy of accomplished ceramicists, as well as mixed-media studio painters from all over the world. For owner Susan Gregory, a potter, painter, sculptor and furniture-maker, the most rewarding part of working with clay is taking it through each of the stages to experience the result. Gregory said that her inspiration comes from deconstructed nature, playing with graphics and botanicals.
Check out the multi-faceted Studio Union at StudioUnionCHS.com.
SARAH BRADBURY, Pluff Mud Pottery
As a ceramic hobbyist in college, Sarah Bradbury couldn’t find access to a studio once she graduated. Borrowing knowledge from her family, who owned pottery studios in West Virginia, Bradbury opened Pluff Mud in 2022. Pluff Mud offers walk-in pottery painting, workshops in wet clay slab building, in-house events, summer camps and parties. Whatever the occasion, bring a group and learn. As Bradbury said, with each kiln that she opens, her joy grows in seeing what her students and clients have created.
To schedule a class at Pluff Mud, visit PluffMudPottery.com.
By Sarah Rose
