Once again we are honored to spotlight another ceramic artist in the SF Bay Area. MaryMar of MMClay ceramics has an impressive and inspiring story to share! From MaryMar:

“I am immensely proud that I have been able to build and sustain a successful business from the ground up producing unique, made-to-order pieces in a city as dynamic as San Francisco. In 2015, I was given the opportunity to design and make almost 2000 custom pieces out of a small studio behind a coffee shop. This is where MMclay emerged. I now have a phenomenal production studio along with a brick and mortar retail counterpart housed in an iconic Airstream, both of which are located in vibrant Hayes Valley, SF. With the help of my talented team, we now produce five separate lines of handmade wares for restaurants and homes all over the world.

I’ve considered myself an artist from a very early age, but I was first introduced to ceramics specifically as a college student. I haven’t left the medium since. Clay has an unmistakable allure and I have been wholeheartedly captivated since we first became acquainted way back when. To say that the tradition and relevance of handmade pottery moves and inspires me, would be an understatement. I regularly reflect on the vessel’s place in history. Doing justice to that legacy is something that as a ceramic artist and a potter, I do not take lightly. I recently read the following quote in an article and am thinking of having it painted on my studio wall as it demonstrates my feelings about the relevance of functional ceramics.

“Pottery is a place, folded and fired. It is soil, stone, flora, topography, climate, massaged by human tradition and technique.”

-Cameron Allan McKean

Pottery is not only about form and function, but also energy. It can easily change the very experience we have of a moment, be that a meal, a glass of evening wine, a morning coffee or a warm bowl of soup. A well crafted plate has the ability to lend meaningful reflection to a meal. It elevates an otherwise potentially routine experience to something more significant. The right piece can alter the very taste of what it holds, with both aesthetics and intention. Great ceramics quite literally bring art to the table for our collective comfort and utter enjoyment, whether we mean for it to or not.

Cups are my most favorite object to make. They are the most personal. The very act of cradling a cup tight in one’s hand is an intimate experience in itself. Whether it’s used in a morning routine each day or in the evening as part of a more serene experience, a cup becomes entwined with our daily rhythms and personal story. It consoles as a close companion might. Making pottery for people to enjoy in their everyday life evokes a quiet exchange between the maker and the user. It is this conversation (or energy) that excites me.

While there are many plateware choices in today’s market, what sets MMclay apart is that every piece continues to be meticulously handmade. It is a laborious and time intensive process but one that distinguishes MMclay from the many alternatives. Made-to-order ceramics are ultimately well worth the wait and the investment on so many different levels. I often say that each piece is not complete until it is in use. That’s when it’s worth becomes truly recognized.

As far as the challenges and lessons learned along the way, naturally there has been an abundance of both. MMclay is my third entrepreneurial pursuit in clay, and thankfully the most successful yet. However building a small, niche, handmade business in the heart of an exceedingly expensive city like San Francisco, is admittedly much like swimming upstream in a torrential current. With a “learn as I go” mentality, it has been imperative to think outside the box.

I wanted a storefront in one of the most expensive and bustling neighborhoods in the city, so I bought a vintage, 1964 Airstream trailer and converted it into a retail shop. When I needed a bigger studio space and kiln to meet production demands, I ran a Kickstarter and developed a strategy that far surpassed the goal that I originally set. Just two years after opening that new studio, I am now already at a point where I need more space. Yet again, a challenge is presenting the opportunity to meet the moment with both enthusiasm and ingenuity. Stay tuned to see how this pans out. I am still trying to figure it out myself, but rest assured, I will.

The last 7 years have been some of the trickiest, but most rewarding years of my life. Having to negotiate the delicate evolution of both my children and business simultaneously has been a precarious balancing act. At this point, I am incredibly proud to be able to model what the successful outcome of hard work looks like to my kids. I've also learned not to take good employees for granted. Turnover is hard and costly in the end. I want my employees to earn livable, equitable wages and want them to feel appreciated for the invaluable work that they do. My hope is that I have facilitated an inspiring and supportive place for them.

Above all, I've learned to roll with the punches. After several attempted break-ins, vandalism to both spaces, a destructive studio fire amidst an unprecedented pandemic, plus some other similarly daunting challenges, the lesson I have extracted is simply to “keep on keepin’ on”. I'm not sure if it is resilience, plain stubbornness or the fact that this is simply where my heart is most invested, but I believe in what MMclay is and the importance of handmade pottery enough to stay committed. I am confident that I will be able to continue to bring beautiful handmade pieces to those desiring them, largely because my clients and customers are so supportive and resonate with my work. Thankfully they recognize its importance in their lives, homes and businesses. That is the very essence of why I do what I do”.

MM Clay Ceramics