New Dowagiac pottery studio open for business

Published 12:22 pm Tuesday, September 5, 2017

By Ted Yoakum

A small shop located near the intersection of Front and Commercial streets downtown turned out to be quite the place to be Friday.

Throughout the day, people stopped by the newly opened business, and were welcomed by the sights of handcrafted painted pottery, vintage and restored antique furniture, boutique clothing, and other items that, at one point or another, received an unmistakable artistic touch — including an old, hand painted bicycle hanging from the store’s ceiling. The store’s offerings were presented in an equally creative way, and their beauty was illuminated by the sunlight pouring through the massive windows of the storefront’s entry way.

Owner Michelle Stambaugh could not have asked for a better way to for her to make her and her business’, Mud-Luscious Pottery, return to downtown Dowagiac.

The new art studio and shop hosted its soft opening last week at the store’s new location, inside the former Dowagiac Vacuum Center at 206 S. Front St. Stambaugh, her husband, Scott, and Vickie Philipson, who will be selling antiques inside the new shop, have spent the last several weeks transforming the inside of the storefront into a hub for the city’s creative energy.

“It feels like a dream come true,” Stambaugh said about the opening. “This studio feels like home. It’s a place for me to do my favorite thing and a space to share it with others.”

The new Mud-Luscious is divided into two areas. The front of the business contains a shop where customers may purchase Stambaugh’s pottery, Philipson’s antiques and clothing from Laura Kinzler. Stambaugh is using the back of the shop as space for her studio as well as for teaching classes to people interested in learning the basics of pottery.

In addition, Dowagiac painter Kandy Grady will use the shop’s interior balcony as her own studio. Stambaugh also recently partnered with Decatur photographer Ed Marshall, who will begin selling prints of his pictures of vintage vehicles, signs and buildings from his studio, Rusty Truck Photography.

Many of the customers who stopped by Friday purchased one or more items from the many artists contributing their wares to the new store, Stambaugh said.

“It’s been awesome,” she said.

The Dowagiac artist is returning to downtown for the first time since 2014, when she sold the first Mud-Luscious storefront, then located in the space now used by Yarn on Front, to her friend and employee, Claudia Zebell. Since then, she has purchased several pottery wheels and a slab roller in order to pursue another dream: to share her love of pottery with others.

Stambaugh will begin teaching classes inside the shop from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Courses will cost between $25 to $45, she said. In addition, groups of three or more may book private sessions, which would be perfect for bridal showers, “mommy and me” time or other such activities, Stambaugh said.

To sign up, people may contact Stambaugh at mstambaugh01@hotmail.com or at (269) 470-9840.

“Come in and get your creative juices flowing,” she said. “We are looking forward to meeting you.”

Mud-Luscious is open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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