Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Richard.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Creating has been a part of my life since the time my tiny fingers could grasp a marker. Whatever medium I could get my hands on would become my newest obsession. In many ways, I was supported in those passions by close family and friends. The summer before my senior year of high school, however, external pressures took over and I dropped 3 out of my 4 art classes, pottery being one of those, to enroll in the pre-requisites for engineering school.
Upon graduating from the University of Dayton with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I took a ceramic wheel class. It was my last semester at the university and I managed to squeeze in a creative elective. It was the sappy “love at first sight” experience. I spent every weeknight and weekend I could in the ceramics studio and was able to progress my skills fairly quickly over a few short months.
I began Gem City Ceramics in January of 2020 after graduating. Really what that meant was creating an Instagram account dedicated to pottery. My first post (paired with the selfie image holding a small cup) reads “… I have big dreams and tiny mugs to share with you and thought there was no better time to start than now- when I have so little figured out! Tune in to see all the bits of mess and growth of Gem City Ceramics.” January 8th, 2020. It was a small step but all first steps usually are! I joined a community studio outside of Dayton and timidly began practicing my craft. I populated my Instagram page with my progress and began uncovering the sense of wonder and creativity I had left behind prior to going to college.
Gem City Ceramics was named as an ode to the city that shaped who I was over the past few years. Creating pottery, in many ways, was the first thing I had done entirely for myself. After the community studio I joined bared too many cuts and bruises from covid, a need for a studio space presented itself. That is when I dove into my next project, made a ceramic art studio. Made offers a space for other small production potters to work. In addition, we offer clay classes conducted in partnership with other local spaces. Because I knew what made had the potential to grow towards, I kept my private brand of Gem City Ceramics separate to keep my unique voice in my work while still being able to offer space and opportunity for our greater community to get involved.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
While the journey has been nothing but smooth, I wouldn’t say it has been entirely rocky either. I’ll settle with rolling hills. I can’t say I ever intended to start a pottery business, let alone a studio. The journey from initial Instagram post to now owning a studio came from taking a handful of small steps. Building the plane while flying it, you could say.
There is a lot of freedom in owning your own business including being the boss. What you quickly learn though, is how much the boss was doing in the background to make your job run smoothly. You hold every job title required to run the business and paperwork and spreadsheets take up time you would rather be spending creating new work. More than half of my time is not spent creating but instead managing my accounting, promoting my work, and communicating with customers. Finding a balance between my creative practice and business operations is a challenge that I continue to work through.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I make to find a connection. Connection with materials and their story. Connection with my own capabilities and creativity. Connection with you and the opportunity to make something uniquely yours. My work often has an emphasis on simplicity and intentional functionality, with the hope my pieces serve their users’ average days and simple lifestyles.
With clean lines and a simple color palette, I take pride in the quality of my construction. Unlike mass-produced, slip-cast pottery, Gem City Ceramics celebrates the organic nature of handmade. Look closely and you will see subtle proof of throw marks and a gentle hand’s touch connecting you to the maker of the good.
A signature among one of my collections is a method known as resist glazing. This allows me to create clean lines of text to personalize pieces as well as organic strokes that reveal the raw clay body after firing. While some of my pieces may be used to decorate your home most of my work is functional ware that I encourage to be used on a daily basis such as pour-overs, holding vessels, and dinnerware.
In addition to selling at pop-ups and curated shop areas, I love working with both businesses and individuals on custom commissions. Through my website, you can inquire about a variety of customized orders including large gift-giving, wedding registries, and wholesale orders.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
The list of those who have helped me along my journey is endless as it includes every individual who has supported my business through the purchase of a good. A special thank you must go to my fellow potters who advised me on how to grow a clay business including Tabitha Guidone and Carmen Ferraro. I could not conduct the community workshops I do without the support and partnership of local businesses, Ivy Dayton and Hue House. I also thank the makers behind Sann Alder Studio, Karah Power Pottery, Punky Head Ceramics, and Hummingbird Handmade for making alongside me and inspiring me daily.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gemcityceramics.com
- Instagram: gemcityceramics
- Other: www.madedayton.com
