We were lucky to catch up with Alexa Adamson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alexa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Like all good businesses, Alley Cat Ceramics was born in a time of uncertainty. It was March 2020. I had just quit my job as a server and was planning to start at a new restaurant after a week long trip to Philadelphia. My former college professor had started a production pottery studio and had invited me out to see how it operated and if anything could influence my small scale studio practice. At the time, I had two wheels in a 100 square ft, old contractors office turned artist co-op. I made things when I could and occasionally taught classes to friends and family.

I arrived in Philadelphia and the week started off strong. So much knowledge was passed down, and I learned a few practices that could streamline my own small batch work, as well as how to start and manage wholesale accounts.

As the week went on, and Philadelphia got its first confirmed case of Covid, I started to realize how serious of a situation it was becoming. And how I had zero toilet paper at home.

I packed up my car and made the 10 hour drive back to Indianapolis. On the way, I got an email that the new restaurant I was supposed to be working at would be delaying their opening indefinitely. With suddenly an insane amount of free time in my future, I got home, set up my pottery wheel in my living room, and started putting what I had learned into practice.

After developing a wholesale line, I was able to secure a few clients through wholesale platforms like Faire and Abound. I also moved into a larger studio space, purchased a few more wheels secondhand, and shared them with a couple close friends. This helped immensely to not only provide a source of income, but it got me away from making my 8th cup of dalgona iced coffee and baking bread every day.

In June of 2020, my grandpa passed away. Him and my grandma basically raised me as my mom put herself through college and worked. My nickname with a few of his friends was Alley Cat, as my name is Alexa Catherine. It was only fitting that my growing business be a dedication to him.

By early 2021, I had nearly 50 clients, and had shipped work to small retail stores and businesses in almost every state, as well as a few overseas in the UK and Switzerland. At that point, I had also received a few artist grants and saved a considerable amount to start thinking about opening a ceramic studio.

With so much isolation and free time that everyone had been experiencing, it was obvious that community was a desperate necessity. I toured a few commercial buildings, found an huge kiln in a dumpster, bought some wheels, and by the end of 2021, I was ready to open Alley Cat Ceramics to the public.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I graduated from Herron School of Art & Design in Indianapolis, IN in 2017 with an BFA in ceramics. I started Alley Cat ceramics in 2020. Alley Cat Ceramics is a community pottery studio. We offer functional and decorative handmade ceramics, classes for both beginners to folks that are advanced. We also offer memberships and firing services to artists who need a space to create.

The studio has transformed into a beautiful community space for not just artists, but people looking to connect with each other. We host fun events and are passionate about social justice issues in our city and globally.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

One thing about me- I *love* to be open and honest on the internet. Maybe too much. So often I see people only talking about the highs and wanting an immaculate aesthetic on their instagram feed. I am not that person. But I think people really value authenticity and transparency. I’ve always tried to maintain that with my followers. Social media is a tricky game and the rules are always changing. So, my advice probably isn’t the best from a marketing perspective. But from a mental health perspective- play your own game. Make your own rules. The people who respect and engage with you are probably the people you want to be supporting you anyway.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I love supporting the people in my community! Indianapolis has a vibrant community of small businesses and we are all in the trenches together. I’ve found the best source of new clients has come from word of mouth by a supportive network of other businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.alleycatceramics.com
• Instagram: @alleycatceramics
• Other: .alleycatceramics.bsky.social

Image Credits

Jasmine Tafoya