Potter's Place a Spot to Fall in Love with Pottery

Lisa Walker has been a part of the Potter’s Place in Walpole for about ten years, and she said it’s been a great way to really express creativity and share the art of making pottery with others.

“We’ve been in this location for about 11 years and it’s been in existence for about 30 years,” she said.

Walker said Henriette Dresens started the not for profit organization in a small basement in Runeberg Hall in Norwood. Since then, the organization has grown to 23 full-members and hundreds of students over the years. She said most of the members are instructors as well as artists.

“The teachers work cooperatively to keep the studio going,” Walker said.

The workspace, a warehouse out on Old West Street, is a large open space ideal for pottery, according to Walker. They have multiple kilns, ovens for firing clay, which they use to finish and fire their pieces. Walker said some of the glazes are interesting because the artist has to anticipate how the colors will mix and what they will look like after they are fired, because each paint does not resemble the color of the finished product.

Walker said the studio hosts two galleries a year, in which the whole studio, including all the artists rented spaces for their gear, is turned into a showroom for all their students.

“Each member has a space and they show and sell their work to the public,” she said. “We use a percentage to offset some of the running costs of the studio. Almost every show has a community piece where we a table to raise money and give back. We’ve donated to the Walpole Food Pantry and many other groups.”

Walker said she first fell in love with pottery when she took her first class in high school.

“I really made a connection and followed into college,” she said. “After a bit of a hiatus I came here to take classes, became a member and now I’m selling my work locally.”

Walker said they also do a gallery by appointment, where if you call ahead of time they can set up small gallery just for you to come in and peruse. She added many local stores sell their pieces, such as the Square Artist Guild in Dedham, the Custom Art Framing in Norwood and the Christina Hurley Gallery in Canton.

“Call anytime and meet with any of the potters,” she said.

Walker said she feels the thing that really gets people going with pottery is actually making something and putting hard work into a piece you can feel, touch and hold.

“It really sucks them in,” she said.

Walker said they have classes for all ages and levels, starting with kids classes.

“They would be one-time try it out classes,” she said. “Our hope is that they come in to try a class, get hooked, and enroll in a class for more of an in-depth look at working with the clay. I think sometimes people come in and they see it’s much harder than it looks. I think when you come in and take a class you appreciate the piece more because you understand why it takes four weeks to make a piece. People sometimes ask can you make me a mug? I’ll come in and get it tomorrow. It just doesn’t work like that.”

Potter’s Place is located at 27 Old West St. and is open by appointment.