Photo by Caitlin Abrams
Pottery with pears
Kevin Caufield’s wheels literally stopped spinning during lockdown.
For a few weeks in March, the potter wasn’t sure if his 42-year-old career would survive. The wine-and-wheel studio sessions, where some 12,000 students have taken classes over the years, came to an abrupt end. Along with that, he was losing income he used to make from selling pieces at now cancelled art festivals.
But a few weeks into lockdown, Caufield’s phone started to ring. Former clients who had been putting off ordering custom dinnerware decided the time was now. Stay-at-home orders also prompted new clients who wanted to make meals at home more special to call. One customer requested smooth matte black bowls with lipped plates that doubled as lids. Another wanted glazed ramen bowls shaped with chopstick holders. For another, it was rustic celadon plates ringed with russet-tinged edges.
“People saved us,” Caufield says, his eyes welling above his mask. “I get emotional about it. People knew how drastic it was at the end of March and in April.”
Since April, Caufield has completed 18 custom orders, and that’s not including one of his most recent restaurant jobs: turning out 600 serving pieces for chef Jorge Guzman’s new Minneapolis eatery, Petite León. caufieldclayworks.com
