Ceramics Artist Is Fired Up To Open New Pottery Studio In Hillsborough

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Sela Stazzone of Bridgewater has always had a deep connection with ceramics leading back to her great-grandmother Jean. So when the fire ignited inside her to open up her studio she aptly named it Jean Ceramics: Pottery Studio & Store.

"Jean is actually my middle name. It's from my dad's side of the family. My Great Grandma Jean, we actually own a lot of her pottery work from the early 50s and 60s. And so I kind of wanted to tie in my middle name and the family with our connection with ceramics," said Stazzone to Patch.

Stazzone held a ribbon cutting for Jean Ceramics: Pottery Studio & Store at 284 Route 206 in Hillsborough on Oct. 11.

Although great-grandma Jean died a couple of years before Stazzone was born she always grew up with her artistic work around the house.

"Especially during the holidays, because she had a lot of Christmas decorations and stuff that she would make," said Stazzone.

Stazzone's passion for pottery started in high school. She took a couple of classes here and there and even studied abroad in Florence, Italy.

"It was unfortunately during COVID, so that got cut short. But I took a pottery course there as well, and it kind of reignited my love for it," said Stazzone.

She then went to school as a Visual Arts major at Ramapo College in Mahwah with a concentration in Animation.

Throughout her schooling, Stazzone has "always done pottery on the side, and it's just kind of grown into like an obsession, and slowly I just kept diving more and more into the world, to the point where it just became my full-time job."

Stazzone started her pottery business in her garage in Bridgewater where she sold products online and in local markets. However, she quickly outgrew the space.

"I was just in need of a location to work on my own work, but also to share it with others and teach classes," said Stazzone.

At Jean Ceramics, Stazzone offers a variety of classes including multi-week adult classes that go through the entire pottery-making process — how to throw, how to trim, add texture to your pieces, add handles, and how to glaze your work properly.

"Pretty much everything that I would do on a daily basis, I pretty much teach everyone else. And it's just a great outlet for people to express themselves, unwind from, you know, all their crazy lives outside of the pottery studio, so it's just a great place to settle in," said Stazzone.

She also offers one-time classes which are BYOB and are great for girls' nights or date nights. Eventually, she is looking to branch out to offer kids and teen classes.

At the studio, patrons can make anything from functional to sculptural wear. Examples include microwave-safe, dishwasher-safe, and oven-safe functional items such as mugs, bowls, and dishes.

Stazzone also has a retail component to her studio where she sells ready-made items she has crafted. The items rotate throughout the seasons to include pie plates for the fall or berry bowls in the spring.

Overall, Stazzone is excited to share her new studio with locals.

"It's just been a long time coming and a lot of hard work and labor, but it's like, my child, it's my baby, and I absolutely love it," said Stazzone. "It's really exciting to be able to share the space with everyone and have, like, a little community."

For more information on Jean Ceramics or to book a class visit jean-ceramics.com or facebook.com/JeanCeramics1 or instagram.com/jean.ceramics or email jeanceramics@gmail.com.

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