Ceramics Monthly: Both of you have spent years teaching in different types of studios, and in 2024, you co-launched Blue Bucket Tools (BBT). Was there a recurring challenge across institutions (large university studios, high school classrooms, or community studios) that made you realize the industry lacked tools suited for those shared spaces?
Jeff Campana and Hope Limyansky-Smith: Picking tools for a shared space is a difficult task. You need tools that can survive the demands of a classroom and won’t take up too much of your space or budget. A recurring challenge in both of our classrooms was throwing surfaces. Individual bats take up a lot of shelf space, and we love bat systems, but when you need hundreds of inserts, they become cost prohibitive. Jeff previously DIYed his own tile bat system, that was ideal for his personal studio, and we realized we could scale it up for our classrooms.
The Blue Bucket Tools Bat System was designed around a specific glazed tile that is inexpensive and readily available across the US. Glazed tiles are easy to clean, don’t grow mold, and don’t absorb moisture—so they won’t warp. Our bat system comes with a motherboard designed for the unique dimensions of this tile, a chamois cloth to prevent the tile from wiggling, and a pry tool to remove the tile when you are done throwing.
Once we had our flagship product developed, we realized that we had so many other issues we’d like to fix. Our second idea was a test-size sieve that is easy to clean and works with a lot of different-sized cups, repurposed containers, and glaze sprayers. Other features were added that help them work in a busy studio—holes for hanging, embossed mesh-size labels, and color coding.
CM: As artists and educators in your own rights, who personally handle the design, manufacturing decisions, and order fulfillment for BBT, how do you balance your creative and academic responsibilities with the demands of running a small, hands-on company?
JC and HLS: As artists, we have a lot of overlapping skill sets, but as co-founders, we have distinctly different roles. Jeff brings his passion for digital modeling and 3D printing to the company. Hope brings her unique understanding of the pottery tool market and her experience as a ceramic content creator. This partnership works because we trust that the other is an expert in their respective field.
We have adjusted our workflow so that it fits around the schedule of a teacher. We use our school breaks as time to focus on Blue Bucket Tools, but we also utilize every Sunday afternoon during the school year to work on the company. Some days are spent in person prepping materials, while other days are spent virtually meeting and planning out our next products. While having three jobs (artists, educators, and business owners) isn’t always easy, we find each of these jobs uniquely fulfilling. In many ways, each of these jobs wouldn’t exist without the others.
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Ceramics Monthly: Both of you have spent years teaching in different types of studios, and in 2024, you co-launched Blue Bucket Tools (BBT). Was there a recurring challenge across institutions (large university studios, high school classrooms, or community studios) that made you realize the industry lacked tools suited for those shared spaces?
Jeff Campana and Hope Limyansky-Smith: Picking tools for a shared space is a difficult task. You need tools that can survive the demands of a classroom and won’t take up too much of your space or budget. A recurring challenge in both of our classrooms was throwing surfaces. Individual bats take up a lot of shelf space, and we love bat systems, but when you need hundreds of inserts, they become cost prohibitive. Jeff previously DIYed his own tile bat system, that was ideal for his personal studio, and we realized we could scale it up for our classrooms.
The Blue Bucket Tools Bat System was designed around a specific glazed tile that is inexpensive and readily available across the US. Glazed tiles are easy to clean, don’t grow mold, and don’t absorb moisture—so they won’t warp. Our bat system comes with a motherboard designed for the unique dimensions of this tile, a chamois cloth to prevent the tile from wiggling, and a pry tool to remove the tile when you are done throwing.
Once we had our flagship product developed, we realized that we had so many other issues we’d like to fix. Our second idea was a test-size sieve that is easy to clean and works with a lot of different-sized cups, repurposed containers, and glaze sprayers. Other features were added that help them work in a busy studio—holes for hanging, embossed mesh-size labels, and color coding.
CM: As artists and educators in your own rights, who personally handle the design, manufacturing decisions, and order fulfillment for BBT, how do you balance your creative and academic responsibilities with the demands of running a small, hands-on company?
JC and HLS: As artists, we have a lot of overlapping skill sets, but as co-founders, we have distinctly different roles. Jeff brings his passion for digital modeling and 3D printing to the company. Hope brings her unique understanding of the pottery tool market and her experience as a ceramic content creator. This partnership works because we trust that the other is an expert in their respective field.
We have adjusted our workflow so that it fits around the schedule of a teacher. We use our school breaks as time to focus on Blue Bucket Tools, but we also utilize every Sunday afternoon during the school year to work on the company. Some days are spent in person prepping materials, while other days are spent virtually meeting and planning out our next products. While having three jobs (artists, educators, and business owners) isn’t always easy, we find each of these jobs uniquely fulfilling. In many ways, each of these jobs wouldn’t exist without the others.
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