Studio Visit: Christy Culp, Butler, Pennsylvania Christy Culp

Appears in the October 2023 issue of Ceramics Monthly.

Just the Facts 

Clay 
Standard 103 earthenware 

Primary forming method 
wheel-thrown and altered 

Primary firing temperature 
cone 04–05 electric 

Favorite surface treatment 
slip, underglaze, sgraffito 

Favorite tools 
Kemper carving tools (They are littered around the studio.) 

Studio Playlist 
Fresh Air; Hidden Brain; Death, Sex and Money; Why We Write; and the collections of the Brickyard Podcast Network 

Wishlist 
more display walls

Studio 

My studio is located on a small berry farm homesteaded from the 1840s, a time when most everything was done by hand. There is a sense of history and work here. As a person who uses my hands for a living, it is fitting that so many hands created this light-filled studio in Butler, Pennsylvania. Construction of the studio was born of an original, small chestnut and oak barn that was no longer stable and the need to expand my studio space. With the help of our community, my husband, Pete, and I were able to use the material to create a studio that continues the spirit of hard work and craftsmanship, provides spacious work areas, and gazes over the farm. 

The new 560-square-foot open studio has a gallery and two work areas. The front porch and kiln room add another 360 square feet. My favorite parts of the studio are the hand-hewn beams and the windows that provide rolling views of the pond, berries, and garden. 

Using locally sourced material was important. With the help of a local barn restoration specialist, the barn was dismantled and reassembled as post-and-beam construction surrounded by 2×6-foot framed walls. A local tree company donated logs that were earmarked for chipping. Through a sawyer friend and his portable sawmill, these trees were milled into construction-grade lumber that became rafters and studs. Pete, a traditionally trained stone mason, spent many hours in the backfield where he cut and split by hand the original antique Pennsylvania barnstone used for the foundation and front wall veneer. 

Pennsylvania weather runs the gamut from steamy summers to frigid winters. The heated concrete floor coupled with traditional wall and ceiling insulation allows the high-efficiency boiler and air conditioning to provide a consistent studio environment. Yes, I do wear flip flops all year round. Like pottery, this studio is a work in progress. Currently, we are working on finishing the exterior and a rainwater capture system from the bright red roof for irrigation. 

The main studio is set up in sections. Upon entry is the gallery. Creation of a permanent gallery space was important as my previous space was small, and inventory was stored in boxes. I now have a space where clients can easily stop in to shop and also see the working aspect of the studio. 

The left side of the studio consists of the handbuilding and throwing area. Equipped with a slab roller purchased from a local sculptor and a counter space with storage. A worktable and standing wheel divides this space from the decorating area. Half-inch MDO board was used for all the countertops. Underneath the counter, I keep my reclaim bucket, wheel accessories, and tubs of larger, less utilized raw materials and slab molds. 

The back corner of the studio has the best views of the farm. Since I spend the majority of my time decorating, this area was designed to have the most counter space and is well lit. Rolling racks move through the studio where needed. 

A second-hand commercial three-bay sink, shelving for underglazes, glaze material storage, and a mini fridge complete the “kitchen” area. The sink allows space for a two-bucket rinse system. Two small plaster slabs on rolling dollies are kept under the glaze storage rack. Reclaiming one bucket of clay at a time is manageable. 

Having multiple work areas allows me to easily move between different productions and not be limited by the time it takes to clean and reset a workspace. Decoration and sgraffito work are stressful to my body, and this helps to mitigate tight shoulders and alleviate overuse injuries. 

The studio is utilized for production 90% of the year, but the open space can be changed to accommodate displays for the summer and holiday sales I host with other artists or small group workshops. 

Paying Dues (and Bills) 

I teach high school art full time; it provides a solid income, insurance, and retirement support. My teacher training at Indiana University of Pennsylvania required taking all the studio courses and, like many of the uninitiated, once I took the first ceramic class I never left the studio. The college had a strong pottery community outside the classroom. Potters who were in production had storefronts, were and still are wonderful mentors to me and those starting their pottery adventure. 

During the school year, I spend 20 hours a week in the studio, a few hours after work and longer on the weekends. I make a small body of pots on Thursday or Friday evening, which allows me to begin decorating over the weekend. My process relies on leather-hard clay, slip, and underglaze. Once the color is applied, pieces stay wrapped until I can finish the sgraffito linework, usually taking me into mid-week. 

Summer break allows me to be in the studio 40+ hours a week. I am an early riser, my mind and body respond to the light. I still work in small groups of pots, which permits me to glaze a batch of work while another dries. At times, the luxury of the entire day allows me to incorporate handbuilt pieces, new pattern ideas, and a window for sketching. I love vintage fruit and vegetable illustrations. My early childhood was full of the kitchens of my mother and grandmothers, where they canned summer beans, froze corn, and cooked large meals. The equipment of these endeavors—large bowls, crocks, canning jars—and the ephemera of tea towels and aprons covered in fruit and vegetable prints became synonymous with all that is good. If I need inspiration, my garden, seed catalogs, and Instagram are full of images that allow me to fill my sketchbooks with new ideas. 

Marketing 

In-person sales account for 80–90% of my sales, while galleries account for the other 10–20%. The majority of my work is sold in person through two studio sales, two craft shows, and a local pottery tour. Building relationships with customers is rewarding. Living in a semi-rural community makes advertising tricky— newspapers have lost their reach and not everyone accesses social media. Yard signs and placing mugs with event announcements in local coffee shops have allowed people to discover the studio. I look forward to seeing familiar faces at events where conversations about how the pieces could be incorporated into daily life remind me of the joy my pieces can bring. 

I work with two galleries in Florida. My pieces are a good fit for their clientele, and I appreciate the effort they put forth to promote my work nationally. Teaching does not permit time to maintain an online shop and having a place to point clients makes it a symbiotic relationship.

Most of my marketing is done through Instagram. I want people to feel like they are in the studio with me. The direct visual aspect allows me to share the color and story of studio life. Because it is visually organized, I curate the images to represent a beautiful flow of work that is not overly repetitive. As much as I want to keep up with the Instagram algorithms, I am slow to the ever-changing trends in content production. I created the hashtag #useyourdamnpottery to encourage clients to share images of their purchases in daily life. 

Mind 

I consider myself lucky to keep my hands and mind making art every day. As much as this life presents itself as charmed, ceramics and teaching each offer their own unique sets of triumphs and challenges. The studio is a place of calm and quiet away from a lively classroom. There are times after a day of teaching when I go directly from my car to the studio only to find myself still there at dinner time. I have an incredible group of artist/educator friends who will cheer, problem solve, and provide mini crisis interventions with a text or phone call. 

A book I continually reread is The Book of Delights by Ross Gay. In the first essay, he writes, “Notice the precise flair of this handle, as though designed for the romance between the thumb and index finger that holding a cup can be.” His perceptive observations of human interactions with the physical world reflect my search for the intersection of user and object, beauty and function. 

When I’m not in the studio, I cook using the vegetables from the garden that Pete tends, and of course, the berries. Making blueberry galettes and pies, basil pesto, and grilled pizzas makes me a happy human. Serving them on one of many treasured pottery pieces to friends and family brings my work full circle. 

“Do what you love.” The sentiment scratched into the freshly poured studio floor speaks of using our hands to continue the tradition of work on the farm that sustains our happiness. 

Facebook: @ChristyCulpCeramics 

Instagram: @christylculp 

Studio images: Erica Dietz Photography.