Twelve years ago, Peggy Clarke, one of the owners at La Mano Pottery, was working down south and decided to leave her job and move back to New York. Once settled, she picked up pottery as a hobby. Having become friendly with her partners to be, Julie Hadley and Diane Waller, while taking classes at La Mano (then on 18th Street), they made the decision to purchase the business together. Shortly after, they moved the pottery center to its current beautiful, airy location. The three have each brought their passion and individual skills to La Mano, allowing them to attract people from all over the city to their studio. Artists rent space to work, and at all hours you can see them peacefully in the corner "throwing clay" with their headphones on. Beginners take classes in pottery and jewelry making, and are given an equal amount of respect. The gorgeous work of resident artists is sold up front, and in back, people sit, either alone or clustered together, working the clay. La Mano Pottery feels like a peaceful haven, but most importantly, it feels like a community. Peggy stresses the importance of this, and her desire to create a perfect environment for artists - both professional and amateur - to work together and hang out. She told us how many people have become friends with one another through La Mano. "Creating a community has become a part of our craft," she said with a smile. When La Mano Pottery moved into the building on 26th Street, it was an abandoned electrical company, impossibly dingy. It is now the largest independent pottery studio in the city, with six kilns and a burgeoning following. They have turned the space into an elegant, tranquil place where curious novices learn and play alongside expert crafts people.
