Campus News
Laurie Haggart Pierce ’95: Making Clay a Career
(Continued from Bulletin home page)
“I missed the pottery wheel and had wanted to get back to teaching clay,” Haggart says. “There was an empty building not far from my home. I wrote a business plan, and three months later we opened.”
Aspects of Clay, located in Sandia, N.M., lives up to its name by concentrating all things clay in one cheery studio. While other businesses offer bisqueware, or paint-your-own pottery, or children’s workshops, Haggart does it all, along with mural classes and advanced instruction in raku and glaze formation.
“As far as I know, we are the only studio in the country that does all of these,” Haggart says.
A tribute to the qualities she loves most about clay, Haggart’s custom designs reflect the permanence and artistry of her geographical surroundings.
“I am especially fond of red clay and organic textures, whether in murals, tiles or pottery,” Haggart says. “The red clay, cliffs and landscape of the southwest show themselves repeatedly in my work.”
Haggart’s enthusiasm fuels her flourishing business. In September, she moved the studio into a new building with a more functional design than the previous location. New workshops and products hit the roster, and her Web site received a facelift. Soon customers will be able to stay on top of the studio’s current events through Twitter. View Haggart’s work.