Taken by Grae Stockhausen

One of the best parts about living in a small town is the community that comes with it. A central part of the community is the small businesses that add that Chesterton charm. One of the more popular small businesses in the town of Chesterton is Beale Pottery, a family-owned pottery business. 

Beale Pottery was established in 2016 by Eric and Melissa Beale, two people who fell in love with their craft and each other. They began in a slight brick building while teaching classes with many other local artists, but started Beale Pottery after turning their basement into their own little pottery studio. As their team and business grew, they needed more space than just their basement. This need for space caused them to find a gorgeous house in Westville, still local, but secluded enough to cultivate their slice of pottery heaven. 

“We are very excited to grow the business and expand our studio but the most important thing to us is growing the community around the art. So, we have been networking and making a lot of connections with potters all over the world and we’re inviting them to our studio to offer their expertise to our local community and I feel like that’s kind of the direction that we’re headed. Also, the larger space allows us to further develop our production line.,” owner Milissa Beale said.

The Beales began to fix up a barn that sits on their property and promptly turned it into a pottery studio, large enough for friends and family to enjoy and carry out their extensive pottery collection. Their collection ranges from bowls to spoon rests to their widely loved and iconic tumblers. 

Since the opening of their new pottery studio, they have decided to host a grand opening. This grand opening is a significant step for the Beales, as they’ve worked hard to grow their business into the establishment that it is today.

“We’ve worked really hard to get where we are and to grow our business and this is a celebration of all of that hard work that our family has put in,” Milissa said.

On Saturday, September 30, they will begin their raku firing, which is a staple Beale Pottery experience. Raku firing is an extraordinary process where every piece is guaranteed to have a one-of-a-kind look to it. Guests are encouraged to buy an already-thrown vessel and use one or more of the many raku glazes. After glazing, the vessel will be put in the raku kiln, taken out, and put into an oxygen-reducing bin with many different materials. That is the step where the magic of raku happens. 

Not only will raku firing be available, but live music will also be there to entertain guests while they are waiting for their pottery to cool down and be transported home. The line-up is as follows: 1-3 pm Watershed Ramblers; 3:30-5:30 pm Tommy Thompson; 6-9 pm Janky Limo. Don’t worry about going hungry either, because Chunky’s Taco Truck will be there with their full menu and a beer garden will also be available to those of age. 

A grand opening wouldn’t be complete without a special guest, so Becca Otis from 5 Lines Pottery and the Wheel Talk Podcast will be there to celebrate with the Beales.

Don’t miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience community the way it’s meant to be experienced. Join the Beales this Saturday!