Meet the Maker
Hi, I’m Melissa Malone!
I have always loved creating. As a child growing up in Erie, PA, between dance, drawing, and crafting I was constantly engaged in expressing myself. Taking expression to the next level, Otterbein University in Westerville, OH, provided me with furthering my education in dance and art. While there in 2014, I had the opportunity at trying my hand at pottery. Truth be told, I never imagined myself as a clay girl. How could this dress wearing, heel stomping chick handle getting covered in clay and glaze every other day? But hey, there was an extra time slot that needed filled and I was going to get the most out of my education. Donning well-worn clothes and letting my feet relax in some slides, I made my way to the one room in the art building that was always a little dusty.
The syllabus for the duration of my first pottery class was a simple but daunting one: 50 mugs, 50 bowls, 50 plates, and a tea set. By the time I was complete with the mugs, I knew. When something clicks, especially as a creative like myself, you just know its meant to be. Throwing on the pottery wheel became my new favorite activity, and my focus for my major: Art with a concentration in Ceramics.
After graduation, I wanted to be as immersed in the clay world as I possibly could. Mayco Colors, one of the world’s leading producers of ceramic products, manufacturing headquarters was located just a short drive from my backyard. Starting as a volunteer for Buckeye Ceramic Supply, located in the back of the Mayco warehouse, I worked my way up to Assistant Store Supervisor. Over the three years I spent at Mayco, I engulfed the knowledge before me. Glazes, applications, tools, products, sales, marketing, social media, store management, kilns, firing, studio care, clay, materials, everything I possibly could, I wanted to know to add to my pottery knowledge bank. From watching and learning from all the amazing artists surrounding me everyday, I started to find my own personal style and voice in clay.
Between the year 2017 and the beginning of 2022, pottery was a side hustle, primarily creating for Christmas or Birthday gifts. I had acquired my own pottery wheel, and had set up a small studio in the spare room of my apartment, but it wasn’t paying the bills. In April of 2022, I made a drastic change. I decided to move down to sunny Sevierville, TN to be closer to my immediate family. By August of 2022, I had purchased a beautiful, new kiln of my own, set up my studio and started making full time.
Currently, I travel around the Knoxville area showing at markets, fairs, and festivals. You will always find me posting and promoting where I will be in the upcoming month, so please follow on social media or checking back in here to see the upcoming calendar.
Lastly I would like to say thank you so much for your interest in my art as well as reading bit about my backstory. I hope to see you at the next event!
