About Cracked Pot Studios Bellefontaine

How it all started

It all started with the love for creativity…

1967

The Love of Art & Clay

Thelma, founder and owner of Cracked Pot Studios Bellefontaine, discovered her passion for sculpting in her high school art class.

1971

Caught the Pottery Bug

While attending Ohio State University, Thelma’s passion for pottery was sparked the moment she sat at a pottery wheel for the first time.

1980’s

Feeding the Passion

While working toward her dual degree in Art Education in New Mexico, Thelma took pottery classes here and there, further fueling her passion for clay.

2000

Teaching Pottery at Home

After moving back to her hometown of Bellefontaine, Thelma turned part of her home into a creative studio. She set up a pottery wheel in her sewing room and two kilns in the basement. In this home studio she was teaching fine arts one day and pottery the next. Although her passion for teaching continued to grow, the limited space in her home meant she could only teach one student at a time.

2013

The Beginning of Cracked Pot Studio

In September, Cracked Pot Studio was founded and happened to be the first business to move into Union Station, a newly acquired community center from Bellefontaine City Schools. There, Thelma finally had space to teach pottery across three rooms.

2024

Expansion of Cracked Pot Studios

The studio moved to the south wing of Union Station and expanded from three to six rooms. Here, classes for all levels are taught. The larger space also provides room for Community Potters, as well as events for the Glazed & Amazed ready-to-paint pottery experience.

Founder & Owner

Thelma Joy Matthews

She loves Jesus, is a mom of eight children, and has 27 grandchildren (and counting). She is a Bellefontaine native and has always been involved in the community of this small town, including leading drama classes and participating at the Holland Theatre.

What makes us unique?

A Studio of This Size and Variety Is Hard to Find

Cracked Pot Studios Bellefontaine is a special space, mainly because of the values of its community potters, teachers, and its owner and founder, Thelma. In addition to this, the equipment and space are truly unique:

– A large studio with six different rooms
– 16 wheels
– 4 kilns (3 large kilns, 1 small kiln, and 1 raku kiln)
– 2 slab rollers
– 2 extruders
– A wide variety of tools
– Approximately 20 in-house–made glazes

What is our mission?

Education and Community

A studio can have all the space and equipment in the world, but still miss the most essential thing: atmosphere.

This is why Cracked Pot Studios Bellefontaine is committed to fostering a respectful, open, safe, and free creative environment. We can all agree on pottery—it is common ground. We all create with clay, regardless of our views or backgrounds..