new pots Archives - Clay Coyote

2018 Minnesota Pottery Festival: Important Info

July 27, 2018 By Morgan

2018 Weekend Schedule

SATURDAY JULY 28

10 AM – Festival Opens

11 AM – Olympics (Heat 1)

11:45 AM – Raku Demo*

1 PM – Olympics (Heat 2)

3 PM – Raku Demo*

3:30 PM – Olympics (Heat 3)

5 PM – Festival Closes

SUNDAY JULY 29

12 PM – Festival Opens

12:45 PM – Raku Demo*

1:15 PM – Olympics (Heat 4)

2 PM – Olympics (Heat 5)

3:30 PM – Olympics Winner Announced

4 PM – Festival Closes

*weather permitting

GET THE MOST OUT OF THE FESTIVAL

Olympics: Watch the potters show off their throwing skills with challenges like widest bowl, tallest cylinder, widest platter, and blindfolded!
Raku Demos: Potter Joe Frank McKee from Dillsboro, NC, will demonstrate the art of Raku firing. Stand back this process is hot, hot, hot!
Glazing Demos: Featured Pottery Karin Kraemer will demonstrate how she creates her majolica pottery, an Italian tin-glazed pottery technique dating from the Renaissance period.
Shuttle: Are your arms full? Head to our Golf Cart Shuttle in the East Parking Lot and we’ll get you and your new pots to your car!
Hungry: Lunch is provided by The Daily Special. Sip on sangria or wine from Crow River Winery.
Kids’ Station: Kids of all ages can try getting their hands dirty. We’ll fire the pieces and you can come back to get them in our pick-up window of Aug 4-12. Pieces not claimed by Aug 12 will disappear.
Your feedback makes us better: Each year we learn more about what works and where we can improve through a verbal survey, if you are approached, please take a moment to answer the questions!

More Details at http://www.mnpotteryfestival.com/

What to expect in 2018

February 10, 2018 By Morgan

Running a business that’s been our family for twenty-five years is a privileged. When Betsy and Tom passed the torch to us they knew that we’d bring new ideas and an innovation to our business.

In 2017, we had a great year. We (re)introduced our Chef’s Line and we reached new audiences. On average, 50% of our Gallery visitors were from more than 30 miles away. And of those who shopped with us, 65% we returning customers. We’re always looking to reach new pottery lovers across the country.

As we begin 2018, we have some new goals on the horizon that we wanted to share with you.

New online channels: Online shopping has been a part of the Coyote since 2002, but more and more people are turning to their phones, tablets, and desktops to shop. Currently, we’ve got our pottery available on our site and on Etsy. In 2018, we’re planning to add one or two new sites. We’re researching Amazon because it’s such a great way to reach people who are shopping.

New pots: In April of 2017, we brought in potters to carry on making my family’s Chef’s Line. Over the last year we (re)introduced a lot of staples like the skillets, medium saucepan, grill basket, cazuela, and our number one flameware pot, the tagine. In stoneware we also had the cassole, bread baker, chicken baker, French butter dish, and vinegar crocks. This year, we’re planning to bring back a flameware 4-quart dutch oven, our veggie steamer, chip & dip set, and more.

New relationships: For the last decade the Clay Coyote has been partnering with chefs like Paula Wolfert, François Payard, Lahlou Mourad, and Farid Zadi. Chefs who love cooking with clay are always looking for handcrafted kitchen tools that they can point their followers to, for this reason, our pottery has been featured in cookbooks, food blogs, news articles, and on TV. This year we’d like to work with more chefs, restaurants, interior designers, food bloggers, food photographers, and set designers.

If you have any suggestions on growing our Gallery and Pottery through new products or partnerships, please let us know.

The Clay Coyote Gallery Turns 15!

April 20, 2017 By Morgan

Spring has sprung!

It was a springy, wet April day in 2002 that the Clay Coyote Gallery first opened it’s doors to customers. Supporters came from far and wide for that year’s Spring Open House and it’s a tradition we continue every year.

Looking back, it’s been an amazing 15 years. The Open House events have featured 62 different visiting artists. And the Gallery has carried the handcrafted artwork of more than 430 artists from across the USA and Canada.

The Gallery has been there as you celebrated weddings, babies, new homes, anniversaries, and friendships. The Gallery continues to grow: just the last few months we welcomed new jewelers, glass artists, metalworkers, and potters to the Clay Coyote Family. And that’s exactly how we feel about the artists and customers we work with; we think of you as family.

Come join the celebration at the Spring Fling Open House this coming weekend. There will be four visiting Minnesota Artists, fun trivia, prizes, and hot pots right out of the kiln this week. This event is family-friendly, free, and open to the public.

Click here for driving directions. And please let your friends know you’re coming, please visit our event page on Facebook!