Photo by Brianna Weissel
By Lexi Nelson
Features Contributor
For many South students, the ceramics classroom is just that – a classroom. But to seniors Lucy Kim and Gaby Monge, it is so much more.
Kim and Monge are the co-founders of Monkee Pottery, a ceramics business that sells bowls, mugs, planters and various other ceramic pieces. The two seniors met in their sophomore year wheel throwing class and quickly bonded over their shared passion and dedication to ceramics.
The budding business began towards the end of last year when Mr. Wixon, one of South’s mixed media teachers, approached the two seniors and asked them if they wanted to participate in Celebrate Newton, a showcase for local artists held in December.
“[Mr. Wixon] saw that Gaby and I were really good at making production pottery, making a lot of pieces in a short period of time,” Kim said. “He knew we worked really hard and were always in the ceramics room so he asked if we would be interested in participating in the art show. He’s really helped us out a lot and been a big supporter of the company.”
Though Monkee Pottery initially began as a small project for the show, both artists wanted to take it to the next level. “We’ve always wanted to do something more with ceramics. Once we started working on [Celebrate Newton], we realized that we could make enough pieces, and make them in enough time, to start selling them,” Monge said. Working towards the art showcase proved to be the perfect opportunity to get their business up and running.
Although running a business can be complicated, Monkee Pottery’s goals are relatively simple. “It’s really just for us to continue making pottery for people, which is something we truly love to do,” Monge said.
Both Monge and Kim hope that the business will proceed even after high school, as both plan to pursue art in college. “I’m doing music as my college major, but I’m still going to be wheel throwing throughout college. And Gaby is applying to art school. So we hope that this is a continuous thing. It’s not just a business; for us it is two artists coming together and creating something,” Kim said.
Monge and Kim believe that ceramics takes just as much time and dedication as say sports or theatre, if not more. Ever since their sophomore year when they first started throwing, they have spent hundreds of hours in the ceramics room creating pieces and improving their techniques.
“[Ceramics] is just such a big part of our lives now. This room is our home; everyone in this room is our family,” Monge said.
Ceramics teacher Molly Baring-Gould notes Kim and Monge’s remarkable dedication to not just their business but the craft in general. “I’ve watched both of them refining their craft an enormous amount over the last couple of years,” she said. “[Monge], especially, put in hundreds of hours in this room last year working on getting better at wheel throwing and her technique. By the end of last year, her pieces were professional quality. It was really exciting for me to see how motivated she was by her own improvement.”
The two seniors put together the business over the summer, which contributed to more motivation and determination in the ceramics room in the fall. They made business cards and an Instagram account where they post daily and have a rapidly growing number of followers.
Monkee Pottery has not only become a huge part of Kim and Monge’s lives, but it has affected the entire ceramics program as well. The company has helped to publicize the ceramics and arts program and bring attention to the extraordinary talent and dedication of the artists at South.
“Our biggest concern is that art is sometimes considered a less important part of academics, and sometimes it’s tough because the art program doesn’t always get as much support and acknowledgment as other departments,” Kim said. “We’ve definitely seen the culture of this room change a lot since we’ve been in here. [Monkee Pottery] is more than just our business; it’s really for the room and for the other people we know here.”
Baring-Gould agrees, remarking on the impact Monkee Pottery has had on the art program as a whole. “Their hard work, motivation, and dedication have a ripple effect through all the classes. Everyone who comes in here sees what they’re doing, and students are inspired by the example they set,” she said. “The whole classroom dynamic has dramatically changed over the past few years. Students come in wanting to learn how to throw, and I think in large part that’s because [Kim and Monge] are in here all the time making beautiful things.”
Other students, too, are beginning to view the ceramics room as a safer and more welcoming space. “A lot of people go to places like Ms. Sumner’s room because they feel safer there; that’s where everyone hangs out. But that doesn’t mean that everyone there is friends and there isn’t drama. For me, [the ceramics room] feels more warm and friendly. It’s a very comfortable place,” sophomore Oladele Falade said.
Agreeing with Falade, sophomore Nijah Howard believes that the atmosphere of the ceramics room is welcoming and creates one of the most comfortable environments at South.
Though Monkee Pottery is still a young business, Kim and Monge hope it will continue to grow. “This isn’t a phase for us. We want this to last for a long time,” Monge said. “We just hope we can make a difference by spreading our love of art and ceramics.”
For more, check out Monkee Pottery and their amazing work here.
