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Kate Hevers | Episode 974
Kate Hevers is an artist living and working in Rochester, New York. In 2017 Kate received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College at Brockport with a Concentration in Ceramics. She opened a studio and storefront, East Main Clay, located at the Hungerford building in Rochester at the end of 2020. Kate’s ceramic work is mainly wheel thrown and slip decorated pottery, made for everyday use in your home. Kate currently works at the Genesee Country Village and Museum as one of the Historic Village Potters. Kate also teaches intro wheel classes in the evening at Flower City Arts Center and Turk Hill Craft School.
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With so many things going online is there still room for a store front type of a business?
Yeah, I think so. I think we are very lucky for where we are at being in the Hungerford building and in Rochester we have a great arts community. So we are located in one of the buildings that is known for being in that artists’ hub with the first Fridays and the second Saturdays. It’s definitely changed since Covid and we are trying to grow it back to where it used to be but I think it has provided us a good space to be in.
How long did it take for the store to pay for itself and bring it into the black?
Thankfully I would say we were pretty lucky and started off doing quite well to cover our rent. That was kind of the goal starting off. Okay, if we can pay our rent and make our pots and stay at that status we were happy. And thankfully our rents are quite low actually because of it being in an artist building the artists’ rent were quite affordable.
How much foot traffic does a typical day bring in?
I would say we don’t have a ton of foot traffic, I mean it’s hard for me to give a full answer because I am not there every day, especially from May to October, but around the holidays it brings in quite a bit. I will start to see foot traffic every single day. One the average we see foot traffic on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. And I will have friends or followers that support me and they will reach out and say, Oh, I need a last minute gift for a birthday or an anniversary. They will ask, When are you open? It’s great to have loyal customers come in.
Do you have an online presence where you sell your work via the mail?
I do, yes. I use Etsy and sell online. Over the years I have wanted to lean in more into Etsy. Last year I was planning a wedding so that kind of took over life for awhile, but that’s okay, this year with the store and the festivals it’s just finding balance. Lately I have been doing virtual appointment for people to see my work.
What’s your favorite piece to make?
My favorite piece to make would honestly be mugs. I love drinking from mugs. I love collecting mugs and I think that a mug is an intimate object, you are holding it, you are kind of cuddling it, your lips are touching it, and it’s different from bowl or a vase or a pitcher. So to have a handle that’s comfortable in your hand and that feels good against your lips is important. And if it’s a work of art as well it’s something that you get to enjoy.
Book
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Contact
Instagram: @katydid_ceramics