Since 2013, Felt+Fat has handcrafted porcelain tableware and home goods in its Philadelphia studio, where each piece is made to order by a team ranging from novices to master craftspeople. The Kensington company began by making dishes for some of the finest chefs in the United States and is best known for durable, colorful ceramics such as its hand-splattered Confetti collection. It builds its wares from domestically sourced materials and invests in fair wages, benefits, and a clean studio workplace.
Neighborhood PottersIn Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood, Sandi Pierantozzi and Neil Patterson make hand-crafted functional pottery designed for everyday rituals, with Neil’s altered wheel-thrown forms and Sandi’s textured, hand-built work giving the studio its distinctive character. Neighborhood Potters also teaches ceramics, hosts public events and showcases local makers, extending its role from working studio to community gathering place. The pair recycle every scrap of clay, use no lead or toxic glaze ingredients, and heat their recycled 1851 studio with residual kiln warmth in winter.PHILADELPHIA, PA
Beaumont PotteryFamily-owned Beaumont Pottery has been hand making pottery in Phoenix, Maryland, since 1971, with founder Jerry Beaumont bringing more than 60 years of experience to the wheel. The working studio uses locally extracted Maryland clay and hand-formulated glazes, preserving a deliberately primitive process in which each piece carries its own slight variations. Its roots include Jerry’s early specialty in authentic reproduction salt-glazed stoneware, while today the studio and gallery offer handmade ceramics intended for everyday use.PHOENIX, MD
KEENEPhiladelphia maker Jess Keene turns clay and vivid color into handmade ceramic goods for everyday use, from cheerful kitchen pieces to plant vessels. Drawing on industrial-design training, KEENE develops forms with CAD and 3D-printed models before casting plaster molds, giving the small studio’s playful shapes a precise, repeatable character. Its rainbow palette is inspired by sunshine, healing and Keene’s time living on St. John.PHILADELPHIA, PA
Maryland China CompanyNow in its fourth generation of family ownership, Maryland China Company carries on a porcelain tradition that began in 1910 with artist Phillip Weiner. The Reisterstown company is known for serving porcelain artists and commercial decorators with blank porcelain, decorating expertise and custom work, drawing on long-standing relationships with overseas factories and its own Maryland decorating department.REISTERSTOWN, MD