Business Details
25 Years
experience
Handcrafted Stoneware & Custom Dinnerware in St. Paul
Front Avenue Pottery & Tile has been crafting functional fine stoneware for kitchens and homes since 2001. Our founder, Mary Jo Schmith, combines over two decades of clay production experience with a BFA from the University of Minnesota to create dinnerware, serving ware, and tile that celebrate daily life cycles through nature-inspired motifs. Each piece is meticulously formed from raw clay, wheel-thrown or hand-built, then fired in natural gas kilns at 2300F to achieve durable, food-safe stoneware with distinctive glazes. Our studio maintains two 40-cubic-foot kilns and formulates all glazes in-house using lead-, barium-, and nickel-free materials. We emphasize transparency in our process, from clay preparation to final firing, ensuring every piece meets rigorous quality standards while maintaining unique artistic character.Our commitment to functional pottery follows traditions established by renowned mentors while incorporating contemporary design elements. We operate an open studio in St. Paul, Minnesota, offering direct customer engagement for custom commissions, gallery shopping, and educational insights into our craft. Our work reflects a philosophy that clayworking is both a technical discipline and a lifestyle deeply connected to natural material transformations. We guarantee product quality while embracing the inherent visual variances that occur during reduction firing, ensuring each piece remains both utilitarian and artistically distinct.
Services
Custom Dinnerware
Stoneware Production
Glaze Formulation
Kiln Firing
Artistic Motif Design
Functional Pottery
Studio Tours
Wedding Registry
Retail Sales
Outreach Events
Details
- Year established: 2001
Highlights and features
- 20+ years of professional clay production experience
- Custom dinnerware commissions with personalized motifs
- Studio-formulated, food-safe glazes with no toxic materials
- Direct engagement with working potters in our open studio
- Lifetime satisfaction guarantee on all stoneware pieces
Services
Custom Dinnerware
Create personalized dinnerware collections tailored to individual preferences. Customers collaborate directly with our potters to select shapes, sizes, and decorative motifs. Each piece gets handcrafted using traditional techniques while maintaining functional integrity for daily use.
Stoneware Production
Manufacture durable kitchen and dining vessels through wheel-throwing and hand-building methods. Our stoneware withstands oven, microwave, and dishwasher use while maintaining artistic character from natural gas reduction firing processes.
Glaze Formulation
Develop custom glaze recipes using non-toxic materials in our on-site laboratory. Each formulation creates unique textures and colors during high-temperature firing while ensuring food safety compliance for all functional pieces.
Kiln Firing
Fire pottery in two 40-cubic-foot natural gas kilns at 2300F. This vitrification process creates dense, low-absorption stoneware while enhancing glaze characteristics through controlled atmospheric conditions during multiple firing cycles.
Artistic Motif Design
Apply nature-inspired patterns through dipping, brushing, and airbrushing techniques. Decorations reference regional flora and fauna while maintaining cohesive visual themes across functional dinnerware sets and serving pieces.
People
Mary Jo Schmith
Owner & Potter
BFA graduate from the University of Minnesota with over 20 years of professional pottery experience. Specializes in functional stoneware production using traditional wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques while maintaining modern design aesthetics.
Questions
Can I order custom dinnerware online?
Yes, browse our website to select shapes and motifs, then contact us directly to finalize custom orders for personalized dinnerware sets.
Are your glazes food safe?
All glazes are formulated in-house using lead-, barium-, and nickel-free materials, meeting FDA standards for food contact surfaces.
How long does firing take?
Each piece requires multiple firing cycles totaling approximately 4-6 weeks from order to completion under normal production conditions.
Do you offer studio tours?
Our St. Paul studio welcomes visitors during regular business hours for tours and direct engagement with working potters.
What if I'm not satisfied with my order?
We offer full refunds or remake services for any pieces not meeting quality expectations, with customer responsibility for return shipping costs.
How should I care for your pottery?
All stoneware can be washed in dishwashers, heated in ovens (preheated from cold), and used safely in microwaves without special maintenance requirements.
Reviews (4)
Robin Edgerton
Aug 19, 2020
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I have known Mary Jo for over 20 years. I have bought many different works of pottery from her. For myself and as gifts. She does quality workmanship. Reasonable prices for something that will last forever. Her pottery stands up to the test of time and daily use. Fantastic local artist!
J. K.
Jan 30, 2020
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Beautiful creative pottery. I went there for the first time and couldn't leave without buying something - I fell in love with it.
Miss Tee
Dec 28, 2019
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A small gallery showcasing beautiful original pieces. Dinnerware, tiles, bud vases, and a few more quality items. Friendly.
Dyan Matczynski
Nov 17, 2017
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Beautiful pottery! I have been building my collection for a few years and love all my pieces plus they make great gifts. They always have something new to tempt me. Mary Jo and her staff are very talented.
