In the three years since opening Salt Lake Pottery Studio, Madison Maria has seen her life change as quickly as her business. “I was engaged when I opened, married, divorced last year,” she says, describing a period marked by “constant change, with life and business and the economy.” That instability has shaped the way she runs the studio. “The one thing in life that’s constant is change,” she says. “The sooner you accept that, the easier it is—the more successful you’ll be.”

Running the studio means adapting not just to shifts in the economy or programming, but to the daily unpredictability of the work itself—the kind where a kiln stops working and everything stops with it. “A kiln stops working—that’s the heart of our business,” she says. “You’re always problem-solving.” What once felt overwhelming has become routine. “Now it’s like, something’s going to happen, and I know I can fix it. It’s not the end of the world.”

Maria, center, with two of Salt Lake Pottery Studio’s member on their three-year anniversary.

Salt Lake Pottery Studio, located at 965 East 900 South, sits just a few blocks from the busy 9th and 9th intersection. The area has become one of the city’s more active neighborhood hubs, with independent shops, restaurants, and creative spaces shaping a distinctive local identity. The nearby whale sculpture, Out of the Blue, has come to symbolize the neighborhood’s welcoming character and the sense of community that draws people from many backgrounds to the area. Salt Lake Pottery Studio contributes to that environment by offering a dedicated space for learning and practicing the ceramic arts.

The studio operates as a woman-owned small business and focuses on making pottery accessible to people at different stages of experience. Its mission is to provide a welcoming environment where participants can explore creativity through the ancient art of pottery while engaging with its technical traditions. For Maira, that openness is not just an educational approach but a practical necessity. “If I stayed with concept number one, I would definitely be closing my doors,” she says. What began as a small operation offering only a few hours of classes each day has expanded through constant iteration.

That expansion now extends beyond the studio itself. Just up the street, Maria has also opened Art Café, a hybrid space where visitors can choose from a menu of creative activities—painting, drawing, and pottery glazing—often using pieces made at Salt Lake Pottery Studio and fired in its kilns. The two spaces operate in tandem, lowering the barrier to entry while creating multiple points of access into the same creative ecosystem.

Inside, the studio is clean, modern, and carefully organized. Pottery wheels line the main work area, with tables and shelving arranged for trimming, glazing, and storing work in progress. Despite the inherently messy nature of clay work, the space maintains a quiet sense of order—the kind required when everything in it is wet, spinning, or becoming something else. Shelves display pieces at various stages of completion, offering a visible record of the creative work taking place throughout the studio.

The objects produced there reflect a wide range of approaches to ceramics. Many participants focus on functional pottery such as mugs, bowls, and plates. Others experiment with texture, glazing techniques, and sculptural forms. The mix of styles reflects the studio’s open structure, where beginners work alongside returning students and long-term members.

Classes form the core of the studio’s programming. Introductory wheel-throwing sessions provide a two-hour introduction to working with clay on the pottery wheel. Participants learn foundational techniques including centering clay, pulling walls, and shaping simple vessel forms. All materials, tools, and clay are provided, making the class accessible to people who are new to ceramics. That accessibility reflects a broader shift Maria has observed. “A lot of people don’t want to be in corporate anymore,” she says. “They want to enjoy their life every single day—even in the small moments.” In recent years, she has seen more people turning to creative work not as an occasional hobby, but as something woven into everyday life.

For those interested in more sustained instruction, the studio offers multiweek courses focused on wheel throwing. The Intro to Wheel course runs for four weeks and introduces students to the basic techniques required to produce functional pottery. Returning students can enroll in the Returning Beginner course, which builds on these skills and allows participants to continue refining their technique. Some sessions extend to five weeks, giving students additional time to develop forms and explore glazing options.

Studio memberships offer another way to participate. Memberships begin at $90 per month and provide regular access to the studio’s equipment and workspace. Members can work independently on their projects while sharing the studio environment with other artists. What began as a class-based model has evolved into a more sustained, community structure. “If I got rid of the community aspect, it would just flatline,” Maria says. “People don’t just come to make something—they come for how it feels.” For her, that sense of connection is non-negotiable: “I’ll never get rid of community.”

Materials for studio work are also available on site. A variety of clay bodies—such as Terra Red, Sandia, and Speckled Buff—are available on site, typically priced between $30 and $35 per bag. These materials allow artists to experiment with different textures and firing characteristics while working within the studio’s kiln system.

In addition to classes and memberships, Salt Lake Pottery Studio hosts private events. These include birthday gatherings, corporate team-building workshops, and bachelorette parties. The events introduce groups to the basics of wheel throwing in a guided, hands-on format. For many visitors, these sessions provide a first experience with ceramics and an introduction to the studio’s broader offerings.

Community interaction is an important part of the studio’s atmosphere. Pottery requires patience and technical attention, and the shared workspace encourages conversation and informal learning. Participants often observe one another’s work, share advice about techniques, and compare glazing results. Over time, these interactions create a supportive environment where newcomers and experienced artists work side by side. That environment, Maria says, is the most meaningful part of the business. “It’s the community.”

Salt Lake Pottery Studio also maintains an active online presence where participants can follow updates about classes and studio life. The studio’s Instagram account, @SaltLakePotteryStudio, documents recent work produced in the space and provides a glimpse into the daily rhythm of the studio.

That sense of access—who gets to make, and who doesn’t—has become increasingly central to Maria’s thinking. “I was a potter, and I couldn’t afford to create for years,” she says. Ceramics, like many material-based practices, requires not just skill but access to equipment, space, and time.

In response, the studio recently launched a financial aid scholarship aimed at people who want to work in clay but lack the resources to do so. The program extends the same logic that has shaped the studio from the beginning: that making should be available not only to those who can afford it, but to those who need it.

Salt Lake Pottery Studio, 965 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City.

Hannah McBeth

Hannah McBeth studied art history, classics, and Mediterranean archaeology before getting a Master’s at Cambridge University. She enjoys writing, hiking, and traveling to far-off places. Follow her on Twitter @hannahmcbee.