We were lucky to catch up with Kathleen Piro recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kathleen, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I have been involved in ceramics since my first year of teaching, nearly 17 years ago. However, it wasn’t until I transitioned to a new school and was tasked with teaching a full ceramics course that I felt a true responsibility to dive deeply into the material and learn everything I could. Without formal training in high school or college, I was largely self-taught, though I began taking classes at my local pottery studio—an experience that proved to be an invaluable part of my growth. That period of learning sparked a deep and lasting passion for all things ceramics.

When the pandemic hit and both my school and studio closed, I took a leap of faith and built a home studio to preserve not only my practice, but my sanity. I continued making work and selling pieces, but I deeply missed the sense of community and camaraderie that comes from creating alongside others. That absence led me to begin imagining what it might look like to open a community ceramics studio of my own.

From there, we did the research, ran the numbers, and scouted locations, with the understanding that every piece would need to align perfectly in order to move forward. When a space became available on the main street of my hometown—a place I knew to be supportive, creative, and artistic, and where I had both grown up and worked for nearly a decade—it felt like the opportunity we had been waiting for. Knowing there was nothing like what we envisioned anywhere nearby, we prepared as thoroughly as possible and signed the lease.

It was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying, but now, six months in, I can say without hesitation that I haven’t had a single regret.

Kathleen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Katie Piro, and I am the owner and director of Lore Ceramics. I have been a public school art educator for 17 years and a professional ceramicist for the past six. I deeply believe in the power of clay to positively impact people’s lives. As a material, it is uniquely grounding—capable of becoming both functional and expressive—and its connection to the earth, combined with its tactile nature, can make working with it a deeply meditative experience.

Clay is not a material that can be rushed, forced, or fully mastered. Anyone who has worked with it knows that just when you feel confident, clay has a way of humbling you. At Lore Ceramics, we strive to reflect that same mindfulness and positive energy in our studio environment, creating a space that feels welcoming, supportive, and inspiring for all who enter.

We offer two primary types of classes: one-time workshops and semester-long courses. Our one-time classes are an excellent introduction to ceramics. These two-hour sessions guide participants through either a pottery wheel experience or a handbuilding project. Students can focus fully on the making process, while we handle the firing and glazing in the glaze color of their choice. Finished pieces are ready for pickup a few weeks later.

Our semester classes provide a deeper, more immersive experience, guiding students through the entire ceramic process—from forming and drying to firing and glazing. In these courses, students take ownership of their work while learning essential skills and techniques. Participants receive a three-hour weekly class, dedicated studio storage for their work, and full access to the studio during open studio hours to practice independently. Our experienced staff is always available to offer guidance and support along the way.

For more experienced ceramic artists, we also offer studio memberships. These are designed for those who do not require formal instruction but are seeking access to a well-equipped studio for creating and firing their work.

By offering multiple pathways into ceramics, we aim to create a space where everyone—regardless of experience level—feels comfortable, supported, and inspired. In addition to classes and memberships, our studio features a retail space showcasing work made in-house, and we collaborate with local restaurants to design and produce custom ceramic pieces.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

While we are a business, we also see ourselves very much as part of the service industry—and in that space, word of mouth is invaluable. We understood from the beginning that, no matter how much research we had done or how much experience we brought from related fields, this venture was entirely new. There was simply no way to anticipate everything we would need to learn along the way.

Because of that, we made a deliberate effort to create an environment where open communication was encouraged—where people felt comfortable sharing what was working well and where there was room for improvement. Ultimately, our systems and processes needed to support us as business owners while serving our students and members just as thoughtfully. Our goal was for everyone who walked through our doors to feel not only supported and welcomed, but genuinely excited to recommend us to friends and family.

That ongoing dialogue has helped us refine our offerings, strengthen our organizational routines, and grow in meaningful ways. It is a practice we value deeply and one we are committed to nurturing, no matter how long we’ve been in business.

Any advice for managing a team?

Building a team was one of the most intimidating parts of opening our business. Like many new owners, I had heard countless stories about how challenging hiring could be—about unreliability, lack of commitment, or difficulty finding the right people. What made it feel even more daunting was the specialized nature of our work. We weren’t just looking for employees; we needed individuals with a strong understanding of ceramics as a material, paired with a genuine passion for teaching and community. At the time, it was hard to imagine where—or how—we would find those people.

Thankfully, they found us. Once we announced our opening, even before we had formal job applications or schedules in place, people began reaching out, eager to be part of what we were creating. More than any single technical skill, what mattered most to us was building a team of people who truly wanted to be here—people who celebrate when a student finally grasps a challenging concept, who approach every question with care, and who never treat curiosity as something too small to deserve a thoughtful response.

That is exactly what we found in our current team. We were both excited and deeply humbled by their enthusiasm and belief in our vision. We invited them into the process early on, relying on their insight and experience to help shape many of the routines and systems our studio uses today. From the start, we wanted them to feel just as invested in the success of the studio as we were.

They have served as our objective eyes and ears, built meaningful relationships with our students, and brought their own wealth of knowledge and experience into the space. As the studio has grown, so have they—stepping into new roles and taking on greater responsibilities. Quite simply, we could not have done this without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lore-ceramics.com
• Instagram: @loreceramicsstudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Loreceramicsstudio/

Image Credits

Tom Solymosi from Tamas Photography