Clarksville Pottery

Clarksville Pottery

Written by Tiffany Young Thursday, 07 February 2008

A couple from Ohio wanted a life change, so they quit their jobs in the corporate and education fields and moved to Austin to run a business: Clarksville Pottery. Originally founded in 1976 by Arnie and Syd Popinski, Tom and Connie Quilter bought Clarksville Pottery in 1999 after researching businesses all around the country.

“In 1998, we decided to basically shift to a new direction and we decided to take control of our lives,” Tom Quilter said. “These businesses don’t come very often. We had been searching [for a business to own] for a year. We got lucky – we hit a bullseye.”

With two locations, one in central Austin and the other at the corner of Great Hills Trail and Jollyville Road in the Arboretum area, the Quilters have enjoyed much success in Austin with a growing customer base through word of mouth.

Clarksville Pottery’s Arboretum location was originally where Starbucks is on Great Hills Trail, and they have been in the current location for five years.

“I’ve always felt that the corner of this street is the best shopping district of all of Austin,” Quilter said. “I think this [location] is mainly for special occasion gifts. When we moved over here, we lost a lot of wall space, so we have less wall art and more 3-D pottery.”

Both store locations display different artisan’s work, so there is always a variety of pottery and jewelry to choose from at each.

The other difference between the locations is the handcrafted wedding rings, which are all located at the central location on North Lamar. They used to have some rings at each location, but found that customers would have to drive back and forth to pick out wedding rings, making it difficult to compare without being side by side. The store has about 20 artisans who make custom rings.

Despite Clarksville Pottery’s name, it has gotten more popular for its jewelry collection.

“Jewelry has been growing significantly over the years. You just can’t buy our jewelry anywhere else,” Quilter said. “All our jewelry has a story behind it.”

About 30 percent of Clarksville Pottery’s artisans are from Central Texas, though they have pottery and jewelry from artisans coast to coast, and Hawaii. They do not stock imported goods, so inventory consists of crafts designed by American artisans.

While Quilter said he enjoys interacting with customers most, he also has story after story of local artists going from hobbyist to full-time artisan after selling crafts at their storefront.

“We try every year to bring in 15 to 20 percent new artists,” Quilter said.

The business has a database of about 1,200-1,500 artists to choose from.

Even people who are not inclined to buy a beautiful piece of art can find something in Clarksville Pottery. From scarves to bowls to cutting boards, this retail store combines functionality and art for useful, yet aesthetic crafts.

Awards

• Voted as one of the nation’s “Top Ten Retailers of American Craft” in 2002 and 2003 by Niche magazine
• Voted “Best of Austin” in 2001 and 2003 by The Austin Chronicle
• “Best of Austin” winner in 2000 for uniquely different wedding and commitment rings

Hours: Mon. – Fri. 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. • Sun. Noon – 5 p.m.