Lifestyle Pottery, owner finds a new home in Clintonville

Bella Lindell has decided to put a spin on owning a brick-and-mortar pottery store. Lifestyle Pottery: Opened a month ago at 4610 N. High St., in a strip mall near Bleu & Fig, Ritzy’s and FrameMakers, it’s the physical embodiment of Lindell’s pottery business, which has operated online and in markets for the last four years. .

In addition to offering Lindell’s handcrafted functional pottery pieces, the store offers small-group classes that teach tong-potting as well as throwing pottery.

“I felt like the time was right to make the leap into a store,” Lindell said. “I just wanted to have a space where people could come in and have fun and be in community and try to do something.”

Lindell, a 2018 graduate of Olentangy Orange High School, spent a semester at Columbus College of Art & Design as a contemporary crafts student before opting to drop classes and make and sell her own pottery.

He also ran the studio at Buckeye Ceramics Supply while devising plans for a store of his own. Lifestyle Pottery marries Lindell’s dual passions of making items with his own hands and teaching others to make their own pottery.

“I signed up for a pottery class my freshman year in high school and before long I was totally hooked,” Lindell said. She filled her schedule with as many pottery and art classes as she could for the next three years.

“I feel like I was drawn to doing something that was three-dimensional, and something where I was putting my hands in the dirt that came from the dirt and doing something with that, using the other elements: fire, water and air,” Lindell. she said she.

“I realized in his junior year that he had been bitten by the pottery bug,” said Allison Echelberry, a Lindell art teacher at OOHS. “She has a passion for pottery. She loved to jump behind the wheel whenever she had extra time.

“It’s been great to see her grow into that passion, make her own pieces and open a shop. It’s kind of a ‘proud art teacher’ moment,” Echelberry said.

Lindell described her pieces as functional cookware with a classic look, with lots of neutral and earthy colors.

“I was always drawn to making functional pieces rather than sculptural ones,” he said. “The idea of ​​having a table with cups and mugs around it and using those pieces every day is really appealing.”

She said she’s also making some new pieces, including large serving bowls, taking advantage of the new space to experiment. Additionally, Lifestyle offers classes — “a lot of date nights, girls’ nights, team building, family outings and those kinds of activities” — and plans to expand those offerings as it adds a long-awaited third wheel.

“I love teaching, showing people who have never done it before the beauty of this craft. You could walk into one of these classes never having seen a picture of a ceramic bowl before and still enjoy your experience. And you will walk away with something that you will be proud of, something that you created and that you are excited about,” she said.

Lindell said he was looking for spaces in a handful of different Columbus neighborhoods, but was happy to find a place in Clintonville, where he moved to last year.

“Before, about three years ago, I wasn’t that familiar with Clintonville, and now I feel like I was missing out,” Lindell said. “This is a great location, with plenty of parking for people from other parts of the city, but there are also a lot of people you meet who just go out for a walk and stop by.”

Clintonville Area Business Association Executive Director Nancy Kuhel said she was delighted with Lindell’s enthusiasm.

“And she’s a really nice person,” Kuhel said. “We’re excited to have it in the store. The space is fabulous and it’s an ideal reuse of space.”

Lindell said he also plans to participate in the Beechwold Makers Market on July 16. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 100 W. Beechwold Blvd.

Lindell said participating in these types of events is still valuable, even though he now has a store. “I can promote the space in the markets and vice versa,” she said.

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Source: www.dispatch.com