We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kourtenay Plummer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kourtenay, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

At the end of 2020, I decided to leave my job as an art teacher after seven years. For many, 2020 was a very challenging year. I was presented with challenges that I thought I was not strong enough to face. My grandfather passed in January of 2020 and my mother passed in September of 2020. I decided to leave teaching not long after my mom passed.

Teaching had become so challenging and my capacity to face those challenges had diminished. I would talk to my mom about anything and everything, I never made a big decision before running it by her. I remember having a conversation with my mom, the week of her passing. I told my mom that I thought I had reached my limit with teaching and that it was becoming more difficult to show up for my students daily. She responded with the question: what if you quit? I can’t remember what my response was but I remember feeling surprised at her response. Little did I know, her response would give me the strength and even the permission that I needed to leave my job.

When my mom passed and when I was contemplating leaving my teaching position, I couldn’t see past the next five days. The stable and comfortable life that I once knew felt new, strange, unpredictable and full of doubt. I took a little time off after leaving teaching in December of 2020. By March of 2021, I was beginning to experience a new level of clarity that I hadn’t felt in a long time. A wild idea popped into my head. I wanted to open an art gallery and pottery studio. This wasn’t the first time that this art gallery idea came to mind. I studied ceramics in college and I rarely saw myself, as a young black women, represented in that field. As a result, the fleeting thought of opening a gallery so that I could represent for myself and others like me, would linger in the back of my mind.

I approached my dad in the spring of 2021 and told him that I wanted to buy my grandfather’s building where he once sold antiques, so that I could open an art gallery and pottery studio. My dad was in the middle of retiring and considering a career transition. His was him asking me if he could be my business partner. My parents have always been so supportive of me and my decisions, I recognize my privilege in that and I am forever grateful for them. They supported my decision to major in art when I didn’t even support myself. I felt honored that my dad wanted to go into business with me.

It took us just about three years to open our space but we finally had our first opening event in January of this year (2024). Since leaving teaching, I dove deep into the world of ceramics. I completed a few artist residencies, started working at a ceramic supply store, and even returned to education as a ceramics instructor. I am very grateful of the connections and community that I have formed that past few years. The connections that I have gained from being fully immersed in the clay community have opened up even more opportunities for our art gallery and studio that I could not have predicted. Returning to the clay community has also put me in contact with connections that I made when I was back in college.

Our journey is still young but so far, it has been mostly positive and rewarding. Though it has been an emotion filled process. As exciting as this opportunity is, I still have my doubts. There are days when I imagine having my stable, salaried job with benefits. I imagine all of the loved ones that I’ve lost, still living. I imagine this life in which I don’t think I would truly be living but rather just going through the motions. I’m handed little reminders along the way that let me know I’m on the right path.

Our pottery studio has be open for classes since February and many of our classes have been sold out! We are planning for our first exhibition in our art gallery. We are also hosting a big family reunion in our space this summer. It will be the first event, outside of our own events, hosted in the space. We are very excited to see what the future holds.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I (Kourtenay Plummer) am a ceramic artist, instructor and business owner. I have always been passionate about art but it wasn’t until I discovered clay that I felt that I could truly express myself through the art I made. My parents and grandparents held onto all of the pottery that I made when I was in elementary, middle and high school.

I majored in art, focusing in ceramics, at the College of William and Mary (2013). I went into college with the idea that I would major in Chemistry. I has this false idea that art wasn’t a good enough major at this reputable school. My parents helped to squash that nonsensical idea with their unwavering support. I completed my masters degree in elementary education at William and Mary as well (2014). I taught elementary and middle school art for just under seven years in Williamsburg, VA. I left teaching in 2020 and began to pursue art full time in 2021. I completed a few artist residencies in Richmond, VA to help kickstart my art career. It had been a while since I had made art for myself so I needed to be fully immersed in an art space to awaken my creativity again.

Although I own an art gallery and pottery studio, it remains important that I make time to continue to make my own art. This has been a very important intention for me. I would like to never lose sight of making my own artwork which is the main reason of why I do what I do. I lost myself and my creativity when I was teaching in the classroom and I don’t want that to happen again. I sell my artwork online, at craft shows and in galleries. I make a lot of functional ceramics that allude to the human figure. Here is an excerpt from my artist statement: As an artist, my journey is one of shaping not just the medium but also the bonds that connect us as human beings. Through each vessel, I explore the themes of gathering, the strength of families, and the richness of community. My work longs to inspire people to come together, to form community, and to cherish the connections that bind us. Whether it’s a collection of pottery that gathers on a table, a family of pieces that share a kinship, or a set that speaks to the beauty of unity, each piece carries a message of togetherness. It’s an ode to the shared moments, laughter, and love that thrive when we connect.

One thing that I think sets me apart from others is my passion for what I do and why I do it. In my mind, I have to do what I’m doing. In theory for me, there is no other option. I tried my plan B which was teaching, choosing to completely ignore what I wanted to be plan A, which was art. I left the art world once because it felt too risky and because I really didn’t see my self represented. I came back into the art world and it has changed a lot. I see many more people who looked like me. I’m not the first to do what I do and I’m certainly not the last but it is so important for me to continue on this path for myself and others.

How’d you meet your business partner?

My business partner and I met almost 33 years ago right here in Richmond, VA. We have been working on smaller projects together for years; from spreading mulch and paving driveways, to picking out birthday gifts for mom. We are similar people and we know how to work with each other. I am very grateful to have my dad as my business partner. When we started this journey together, we were both on the verge of a career transition. People always ask me if my dad is also an artist or potter, my response is always that he is super supportive. I would consider my dad to be a creative person and I so happy that he gets to tap into his creative outside of the stifling IT space he had previously been in. It would be silly for me to not have my dad on this journey with me. He has a background in project management and that has been really helpful for us.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

When I left teaching, I took some time off to really gain some clarity. By March of 2021, my dad and I decided to purchase my grandfather’s antique shop and turn it into an art gallery and pottery studio. I had also made the decision to dive back into art full time, in the meantime. There is a community art center in Richmond, VA that hosts a number of artist residencies. These are basically programs that provide artists with space and resources to support their artistic practice. One residency turned into a second residency which turned into a third residency. By the end of my third residency, I had become an instructor at the community art center. I began teaching at other pottery studios in the city as well. Each opportunity that I was presented with, continued to open more opportunities. Although I had not anticipated many of these opportunities, and little did I know but I had been preparing for them all these years. I remember I asked to have a conversation with a small female owned pottery studio in town, just to understand their story better and to gain any tips and tricks of owning a business from them After our conversation, they asked if I wanted to teach at their studio which is what I needed in the meantime. I also began working at a ceramics materials and supplies store in town (Clayworks Supplies Inc.). Participating in craft fairs and art markets have been beneficial in making connections as well. All of these spaces and all of the conversations I’ve had with many different people during these last few years, have helped me make lasting connections and helped me grow my own reputation. I needed to fully immerse myself in the world of clay. All of this has contributed to the reputation of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.spgalleryva.com (business) www.kourtenayplummerpottery.com (artwork)
• Instagram: spgallery.va (business) and kourtenayplummerpottery (artwork)
• Facebook: spgallery.va (business) and kourtenayplummerpottery (Artwork)
• Linkedin: kourtenayplummer