Senior music major Nick Donovan paints a dish at Pottery with Pizzazz. Pottery with Pizzazz had its “grand opening” Tuesday in the Memorial Union. Lingzi Su/The Bulletin
After a short summer break, Pottery with Pizzazz had its grand opening on Tuesday. This 7-year-old shop, located in the Memorial Union lounge, welcomes every person, not limited only to university students.
“Not just university students, but also we try to advertise to the community as well to have them come to paint,” said Samantha Beye, graduate student in school counseling.
Pottery with Pizzazz hosts “Technique Tuesdays” for customers to learn certain techniques.
“We are basically featuring a certain technique every Tuesday,” Beye said. “That technique can be anything from how to use puff paint, to how to use pencils, how to use stickers, how to paint certain techniques.”
Being a programming graduate student in the Center for Student Involvement, it is part of Beye’s job to help work with pottery. Beye and another graduate student, Alisha Lyon, who is also in the Center for Student Involvement, run and manage the Pottery with Pizzazz together with several undergraduate students helping with glazing portion.
“We actually go and get a cash fund from the Memorial Union. Basically what we do is that we just try to break even every year. We do not try to make any kind of profit out of this,” Beye said. “So we have enough money, basically, when we are open and functioning, but we do not try to make money out of the pieces. So we try to make it cheaper for the students to come and paint the potteries.”
Most of the pottery pieces are at about $7, and this price includes the techniques, painting, glazing and the cost for the staff to help out.
Lyndsey Kopsa, senior elementary education major who has two-year pottery painting experience, has already done four pieces of work. In reference to her fifth piece, she said that her favorite part is brush painting because it gives a more soothing feeling to make her relaxed.
“I think this is a good way to relax and socialize with your friends,” Kopsa said.
The same is true for Katherine Moeller, senior music education major.
“I like it because it’s something different to do to release stress, relax and be creative.”