Oh my goodness! I MOVED! Rooted Pottery was thriving in St. George, and well life happens and I had to relocate to Vernal! My husband, Bryan, is a 3rd year Medical Student at Rocky Vista University and he’ll be doing most of his rotations in Vernal. So that meant my livelihood in St. George was going end. Very bittersweet. I LOVED so much about St. George (in fact, if you’re a fellow maker/artist living there I’ll provide you with a great list of ways to start selling your work within that community) and I’m sure I’ll fall in love with Vernal too, but saying goodbye to was tough.
Lets highlight some of the greatest things that happened to me in St. George!
#1 The Tilted Kiln
Because of Joe and Emily at The Tilted a Kiln I was able to thrive as much as I did in St. George! I was making all my work there and I was teaching pottery classes. It was such a fun and supportive environment to work in.
If you want to know more about The Tilted Kiln and what activities, classes, and studio space they offer click here https://thetiltedkiln.com
#2 MOFACO, the Modern Farm and Artisan Co-op.
This is the BEST co-op in town. The founder Kat is the most supportive person when it comes to small businesses. This place is so fun and friendly towards makers, bakers, and everything in between! I know I found some great returning customers through having my pottery there.
Click here to learn more and become apart of this co-op. https://mofacomobile.com
BONUS, Kat also supports and basically runs the farmers market down there too! More details on their site.
#3 Markets!
My first large market experiences were in St. George! And each one became more and more successful. The first one we were apart of is the Saint George Market. https://www.saintgeorgemarket.com
The second market I participated in was the Mod Market. https://modthemarket.com
Both markets were great, but if I were going back for more markets the Mod Market would be my first pick. The vendor fee was reasonable, set up and take down was simple, and the communication was great.
And because of the markets I was able to find Mofaco and The Arrowhead Gallery.
#4 Arrowhead Gallery
This gallery is in a prime location downtown and right next to the Electric Theater Company. I really felt like I was apart of the community while having my work there. And it was neat being a member of the Southern Utah Art Guild. There are benefits to having a membership such as having your work in gallery shows at the Red Cliffs Gallery along with the Arrowhead Gallery. The membership also provides you with workshops and classes from visiting and local artists. It was a great group to be apart of.
If you’re interested in selling your work at a gallery in St. George I’d recommend looking into the Arrowhead Gallery.
#5 The Saint George Art Museum
This place has really grown and expanded from when I moved there. That’s mainly due to my good friend Natalie Gula who runs the place. she’s a talented artist (whom I met though The Tilted Kiln) and has quite a vision for art management. I was able to sell my pottery in their gift shop. If you’re interested in selling your work here reach out to them through their website.
A couple other honorable mentions that were positive to my experience in St. George was Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University). Thanks to Shane Christensen and other great faculty at Utah Tech, I was given the opportunity to teach adjunct in the art department. This was a huge achievement for me and I’m so happy I was able to teach for a couple semesters there. I was very sad to leave that job, but so glad for the experience.
-Raquel teaching 3D Design
I also worked at Harmon’s, a Utah local grocery store, and I loved being apart of that work environment. Harmon’s really treats their employees well and I had a blast working in a few different departments. My favorite department is the bakery! Decorating cakes and making things look pretty is just fun! I also feel like cake decorating influences my pottery the most.
-Cake Piped Bud Vases
There were so many other great things about St. George from the many outdoor things, my neighbors, my church community, the food (Benjas, Riggatti’s, Sakura… my mouth is watering) and the shopping (Costco I miss you). But I know Vernal has its perks and I’m looking forward to finding them out!
Next blog post will be about setting up shop here in Vernal!