Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Dondero.
Maria, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born lucky, in Yaounde Cameroon, the 5th child to adventurous parents. We moved back to Atlanta when I was 1.5 years old but continued to travel the world. My father is a wonderful chef and presents food beautifully on handmade pottery. My mother is a master crafts-woman who is never sitting still without knitting or sewing something. My love for food, connection over sharing meals and coffee, and a need to be making something is rooted deeply in my family and upbringing.
I moved to Athens, GA, in 2001 and have mostly lived here ever since, now with my own family and pottery business.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I first fell in love with pottery while living in Guanajuato, Mexico, in 2000. I took a class every evening at the neighborhood pottery center and made some very ugly pots! But I was hooked and continued with ceramics at the University of Georgia where I majored in Ceramics and Spanish. I continued on at UGA, getting an MFA in ceramics and finished in 2008. Since then I have taught and made pottery under the name Marmalade Pottery full time. I started a community pottery center where I rent out eight spaces to other potters and have a small gallery space called Southern Star Studio in 2016.
I love handmade pottery because it encourages us to slow down from the crazy fast-paced existence of modern day life. Taking time to savor a sip of coffee from a beautiful work of functional art can elevate an ordinary moment to extraordinary. Connection over food beautifully presented brings us together and encourages reflection. We all need more of this thoughtfulness and groundedness to balance out hectic, technology-filled days.
I put a lot of myself into each piece of pottery I make, creating each one to be a unique work of art. I work intuitively to throw and create forms out of red clay. I dip the pots in a white Kaolin slip and then sketch my surroundings onto the pots. I try to make work that is fresh, raw, tactile, and contemplative. Many people respond to the characters I draw, whether they are flowers, vegetables, people, or strange animals. I love that by telling stories visually; others connect to the images for their own reasons. The best compliment ever is when people tell me my work makes them happy. That’s all I could really ask for.
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
Social media has helped in some ways, opening up avenues for clients to purchase directly from the artist, but it has also flooded the market and encouraged similar trends and themes to water down the craft. I think buying directly from the artist is always the best so that people can connect to the maker. However, if this is not possible, then online sales and social media can be a good substitute.
The city could help by promoting studio sales and tours for artists to have direct access to customers.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
For a taste of my work and online sales, my website and Instagram are the easiest:
www.mariadondero.com
@maria_dondero
My home studio is the best spot to find my largest body of work and to be able to touch and hold it.
Southern Star Studio
180 Cleveland Avenue
Athens, GA 30601
Open the first Saturday of every month from 10a-4p or by appointment
I have work in galleries across the country and online, including:
The Signature Shop in Atlanta
The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA
Santa Fe Clay in Santa Fe, NM
Contact Info:
- Address: Southern Star Studio
180 Cleveland Avenue
Athens, GA 30601 - Website: www.mariadondero.com
- Phone: 706.248.6899
- Email: donderomaria@gmail.com
- Instagram: @maria_dondero
- Facebook: @marmaladepottery
Image Credit:
Kristen Bach
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.
