Local business owners paint a picture of the pottery business in West Virginia

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — Like a pottery wheel, customers continue to patronize local pottery business all year round, and round and round.

Although college students offer a revolving group of customers for the businesses, locals continue to support the industry at the end of each school year.

West Virginia University students' yearly exodus from the Morgantown campus does not significantly affect business for The Wow! Factory, Studio Manager Monica McGraw said.

"Our business stays pretty steady in the summer. But it does transition from being busy on weekends and calmer throughout the week to being more spread out in the summer," McGraw said.

"We get a lot more families during the summer. People will be in town to visit, or they'll be here for various camps and events in Morgantown. And kids visiting grandma and grandpa for the week," McGraw said.

Kaitlyn Mollohan, a staff member at The Pottery Place in Huntington, said business fluctuates similarly in the southern part of the state.

"We get big business in winter because we do ornaments. During the summer when kids are off of school and parents are able to come in on their days off with their kids, we get a bit busier," Mollohan said.

The Pottery Place even extends its hours during summer by two hours, opening earlier and closing later, Mollohan said.

"We're air conditioned. And it's something where people can bring in drinks and food and have a little outing," Mollohan said.

"People are free to bring in any kind of beverage they want: if they want to bring in wine coolers, if they want to bring in a bottle of wine, if they want to bring in a bottle of Tito's, they are free to do so," Mollohan.

"It's really therapeutic, just the act of creating something. And, it's a great way to get together, and spend time and visit and still be doing an activity," McGraw said.

The Pottery Place organizes events with Marshall University throughout the year, but most of its business comes from people who are local to their area. 

After pottery is painted with a glaze, it must be fired in a kiln to ensure it is food safe. The process takes up to seven days from start to finish at The Pottery Place, Mollohan said.

Although this may deter non-locals from participating, shipping to anywhere in the United States other than Hawaii is available for $20, Mollohan said.

Visitors to both The Wow! Factory and The Pottery Place are free to bring with them food, drink and alcoholic beverages.

On Fridays, The Wow! Factory hosts ladies night, when many women attend with charcuterie boards and bottles of wine.

"They'll just chat and make some masterpieces," McGraw said.

In addition to weekly ladies nights, The Wow! Factory also attends events around Morgantown.

This past weekend, they hosts a tote bag inking at the West Virginia Botanic Garden in Cheat Lake, where tote bags were inked using cuttings from the garden, McGraw said.

This Saturday, staff from The Wow! Factory will attend the Moonlight Market again with tote bags. However in lieu of garden trimmings, staff will allow participants to decorate their tote bags with acrylic paint, McGraw said.

"Since they're going to be shopping, I though tote bags would be a good option for people to carry their treasures," McGraw said.

Pottery isn't offered at these pop-up events as its necessary for the pieces to be fired before taking them home, McGraw said.

The Pottery Place also hosts mobile events, but is now planning an in-house, closed-door event after hours on June 30 when they will host a Harry Potter-themed event from 7-9 p.m., Mollohan said.

Those at the Harry Potter event will decorate trunks with their house colors using a paint by number system before the trunks are glazed and filled with butterbeer scented candle wax.

Painting pre-made pottery, clay hand building, glass fusing and mosaics are all offered on a walk-in basis at The Wow! Factory.

Hand building includes "coil, pinch pots and slabs. We just denote hand building because we don't offer wheel throwing," McGraw said.

Wheel throwing is available at Mountain Creative in Fairmont, where registration for weekly throwing classes through July 20 were recently opened for sign ups on the business's Facebook page.

As all the staff at The Wow! Factory are trained in pottery, they can help on an as-needed basis during walk-ins. But classes for pottery building are also hosted on a monthly basis, McGraw said.

There are also canvas painting classes offered at The Wow! Factory, McGraw said.

The Pottery Place does not offer classes in pottery creation but has an extensive collection of premade pottery to choose from, Mollohan said.

The Pottery Place's extensive collection of pieces includes many types of dinnerware, including salt and pepper shakers, tea pots and measuring cups as well as planter pots, figurines and tissue boxes.