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Crisanthemum Ceramics is a pottery shop that began in beautiful, historic downtown Mount Airy and has since rebranded and expanded to its new home, Crisanthemum Studios, in Downtown Pilot Mountain.

Founded in 2021 by artist Cris Tadesse, Crisanthemum Ceramics has a focus on handmade products meant for daily use.

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Crisanthemum Studio is a creative space dedicated to fostering artistic expression and building a welcoming community. We provide a judgment-free zone for all forms of art, from ceramics and knitting to painting and beyond, where individuals can explore their creativity and connect with others in a supportive, inclusive environment.

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My vision has always involved goal-setting, growth, and community engagement.

 

Over the past year, I've focused on building an environment that can facilitate positive growth and enhance quality and customer satisfaction.

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Cris Tadesse

"Find a hobby..." Touching clay for the first time changed my life.

It ignited a passion in me that has become a metaphor for healing, building, and growth. Like clay, we slump, spin, crack, and break; creativity is the spark that puts our hands to work to put it back together.

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Like clay, we are formed, reshaped, and made to be useful and beautiful. With clay, I found a hobby that healed me and inspired me to build a business and grow a community that thrives on the connection that feeds us.

Krystle - Business Manager

Krystle grew up in North Raleigh and attended the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, where she met her husband, Jeremy. Her career began at The Walt Disney Company’s costume shop and evolved into a 12-year tenure with Walt Disney Imagineering, managing the creation of walk-around characters for Disney parks worldwide. After marrying in Elkin in 2013, Krystle and Jeremy relocated there in 2017 to embrace small-town life. She co-owns The Wisdom Table wine bar in downtown Elkin, runs KL Studio designing pet sweaters and accessories, and collaborates with her parents on handmade recycled crafts. Passionate about art and creation, Krystle finds joy in spending time with her Newfoundland dogs.

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Kayla-Studio Director

Kayla is a National Board Certified Teacher in Visual Arts with 30 years of experience. She has created murals in public spaces and private homes, as well as four works of public art in downtown Mt. Airy. Kayla focuses on coaching and inspiring the creation process in artists of all ages and abilities. She loves to explore color and design in art and quilt making. Kayla believes that art is the arrangement of beautiful or meaningful things. 

Penny - Business Support Manager

Penny Huff is a retired veteran teacher with a BA from Lees McRae College and an MA from Appalachian State University, and she is National Board Certified. A proud wife, mother of three, and Gigi to three grandchildren, Penny is also a dog mom with a passion for exploring new interests. She is thrilled to be on a new journey with Crisanthemum Studios, where she works alongside a talented team of women, showcasing beautiful handmade pottery.

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Megan - Ceramics Instructor

My relationship with art and with clay specifically, stems from nature, nurture, and my experiences with my internal and external world. Through my love of fictional tales, swimming, and interactions with the plants and animals on our farm in North Carolina, I create whimsical narratives with my pottery. When I make objects with clay, I enjoy adding sprigs, sculptures, and texture because I am so tactile, and want to share that part of myself. After the textural components are added, the colors and paintings of glaze and stains finish my stories. I like that my whimsy of unusual combinations allows others to make up their own fictions and truths about life, and about their new functional piece of art.

Benita - Fiber Instructor

My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was twelve.

I am a self-taught knitter. My specialty is ladies' accessories, which I sell at fall festivals. My favorite accessory for knitting and crocheting is shawls.

My greatest wish, in teaching, is that knitters and crocheters would love the craft as much as I do. 

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