Pottery-making business soon to open in the village

Beth Wright first took a pottery-making class in her mid-20s. From the moment she started taking the class at a pottery studio in New Jersey, she wanted pottery making to be a big part of her life.

That was when Wright became a potter, a person who makes pots, bowls, plates and more out of clay.

“I just loved getting my hands dirty. It was very therapeutic,” Wright said. “When I took the class, I felt this huge relief from the stresses and anxieties I was going through. It’s been like that ever since.”

Wright soon got her start in the pottery-making business as an assistant at a private studio. She was tasked with loading and unloading kilns, recycling clay and glazing mix.

Wright, who noted that “glazing is to pottery what painting is to a painter,” thoroughly enjoyed her work in the business.

“I really fell in love with not just pottery making, but the actual workings of a studio,” Wright said. “I was so hands-on involved in what it took to run a studio. I loved being part of a community of people who created art.”

Fast forward to over a decade later, and Wright is getting ready to open her own pottery-making business in the village of Dryden.

The dream of opening a business she’s had for over 15 years is coming true.

“I’m really excited to be here,” Wright said. “I want this to be a community space where people can come and enjoy doing this and learning pottery.”

Wright is calling her business Claybird Studio. The name Claybird combines her love of clay in the pottery world with her love of birds.

The bird aspect of the business name stemmed from Wright’s hobby as an amateur birdwatcher. She lives near the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, something she’s shown an interest in.

“It was this bird haven,” Wright said. “I got more and more into bird watching. Birds have been significant to me in my life. They’re very fascinating creatures.”

Wright moved from New Jersey to the Dryden area with her husband, Jesse, and her kids in July of last year. 

Jesse, an art teacher at Ithaca High School, shares his love of art-making with Beth.

“My husband is an amazingly talented artist,” Beth said. “He’s more of a painter, a mixed media artist. He’s a naturally gifted artist.”

In January of this year, Beth searched for a possible location to open a pottery-making business. She had a private business at her former home in New Jersey, but ultimately she knew she wanted to transition to a more open space.

She soon set her sights on a space available at 15 W. Main St. in the village.

“The owner is an architect and his wife is an interior designer, so they were very excited to have an art space in the building they owned,” Beth said. “So, here we are.”

Beth said that Claybird Studio will have a soft opening at the beginning of September, with the goal of a grand opening in the near future. The studio will be open mostly during after-school and evening hours, but Beth noted that her schedule is flexible.

With her enhanced skills in pottery making, Beth said that she has the ability to teach it to others. The main vision for her business, however, is to show how much pottery making has helped in her life.

Beth mentioned that when she sits at a pottery wheel, she has to focus on what she’s doing and “not focus on anything else.”

“It makes you leave everything else at the door. I want to pass that on to people. It’s an amazing form of art that connects you with people in the pottery world,” Beth said, noting the connection and how pottery making becomes a form of meditation and relaxation.

Claybird Studio has classes available for kids, teens and adults. Individuals interested in attending a class can register at claybirdstudio.com.

Beth , who works part time at Cornell University, is hoping to be full time soon at her studio. Her goal is to offer more options at the studio, including private parties, couples nights, team-building experiences, workshops with other instructors and more. For now, Beth is starting small.

“I think my idea is to just put a little bit out there at a time and see what people are interested in,” she said. “I’m hoping everyone can come and enjoy the experiences of pottery like I do.”

For information on Claybird Studio, contact Beth Wright at 201-264-2815 or info@claybirdstudio.com.

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Dryden Middle School to hold bottle and can drive

A bottle and can drive will be held at Clark’s Food Mart in the village of Dryden from Aug. 28 to Sept. 4.

The fundraiser will help support Dryden Middle School’s eighth grade field trip in the 2023-24 school year.

Groovin’ in the Park this Saturday

Groovin’ in the Park will be held this Saturday at Montgomery Park in the village of Dryden.

The event will celebrate 50 years of Dryden history with a summer party at the park. It will include snapshots of Dryden in the 1970s from the Dryden Town Historical Society.

The schedule for Groovin’ in the Park includes:

• 1 p.m.: Miss Angie’s music for foot-stomping fun
• 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. (two time slots): Hula hoop contests
• 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Hot dog stand with Kiwanis
• 2 p.m.: Stories with Pete the Cat and Bluey
• 3 p.m.: City Limits & sounds of the 1970s

Food will be available between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. from Village Taqueria, Station Creamery, Hopshire Brewery and more.

Other activities at the event include crafts, face painting, Frisbee coloring, family games, a playground scavenger hunt and more.