It may have been fate, or perhaps just good
luck, that found Jeanne Svien (Aurelius) and David Aurelius seated
side by side in a studio art class at Luther College in 1970.
When Jeanne leaned over and penned a 70s iconic daisy on the knee
of David’s jeans, various events were set in motion. Thirty-plus
years later, Jeanne and David, happily married, are the parents
of two delightful daughters, Lauren and Martha, and the proud proprietors
of a successful business, Clay Bay Pottery. And while luck played
a role in the initial meeting, talent and creativity are the keys
to the success that has originated from Clay Bay Pottery since their
college days.
Celebrating 30 years in 2006, Clay Bay Pottery
features the Aurelius’s handmade, hand painted pottery, along
with the work of several other featured artists—Mary and Peter
Deneen, Martha Winter, Peter Hegland, and David and Gail Stewart,
among others. Each artist’s unique contributions have helped
Clay Bay garner a prized reputation and diverse client base. As
a result, Clay Bay pottery can be found in homes and businesses
across Door County, the country, and, indeed, the world. |
In addition to their individual work as potters,
Jeanne and David collaborate on large-scale tile murals as artists-in-residence
at schools across the state of Wisconsin. Working with children
and community members is a labor of love. It all began at the urging
of former Luther College classmate Sonja Juffer, the art teacher
of the Milwaukee-area school district that hosted the first residency.
Fortunately for the hundreds of students who have created murals
with the Aureliuses since that project, Jeanne and David were undaunted
by the scope of the undertaking. They collaborated with over 600
Lake Bluff Elementary School students and adults to create the first
mural, Nature and the Neighborhood, and haven’t stopped since.
CLAY BAY POTTERY
11650 Hwy. 42, Ellison Bay, WI. 54210
920.854.5027 / contact@claybaypottery.net
Open daily from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Custom and mail orders welcome year-round.
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