They say Michigan is incapable of attracting innovative people, developing entrepreneurs, and growing new businesses. But they obviously haven’t met Susan Hathaway. The woman is walking and talking proof that perception is not always a complete picture of reality.
Hathaway is easy enough to find. As the owner of Heather Lane Pottery, she enjoys taking customers on a tour as they walk in the studio. She proudly shows off the gallery rooms filled with handcrafted vases, lamps, and planters. Down the hall there's a brief stop for coffee and cookies. Then guests are led to a back room overflowing with tranquility and creative energy as a team of artists shape, paint, and fire mounds of clay into one-of-a-kind hand-made items for the home and garden.
"It's important for me to have people come in to see and understand the process," Hathaway says. “Heather Lane is not just another store. It's an experience."
Working Hard, Loving Life
The popular opinion today is that talented people are fleeing the Great Lakes State in droves for more exciting opportunities in New York, Seattle, and other big bustling cities. But Susan Hathaway left Chicago in the mid 1990's for Grand Rapids.
The experts say entrepreneurial zeal and a willingness to take risks are at historic lows today in Michigan. But Hathaway bucks that academic trend, too. A few years ago, the former teacher took the initiative and enrolled in a 15-week training course to learn how to successfully buy and run her own art business.
And, at a time when the common view is that Michigan's economy is in crisis, Hathaway has seized on the rising demand for custom home accessories to grow a profitable enterprise that's regularly hiring and training new talent. Her studio, in fact, recently moved from the suburb of Cascade to a much larger space in the heart of Ada to expand the operation.
Now no reasonable person would argue that a proliferation of pottery shops are the solution to the state's lagging competitiveness. But the story of Susan Hathaway illustrates that there's genuine opportunity – as there always has been – for optimistic, inventive, hardworking people with the nerve to follow their dreams, whether that's designing software, curing cancer, or spinning raw clay on the potter's wheel.
“I have never worked harder,” Hathaway says. “But I love the feel of making ordinary clay into something extraordinary.”
Seeing Is Believing
Heather Lane Pottery is a working artists' studio. That means there's a team of as many as 20 artists laboring on site to produce unique pieces of pottery. The current group includes everyone from college students to grandmothers. Formally trained artists work side by side with former corporate executives.
In addition to more basic household items, the artists churn out everything from candy dishes to window dressings to drawer pulls. Blessing Bowls are perhaps the most popular item. The serving bowls come in a variety of sizes and can be customized with special messages for weddings, baptisms, and other occasions.
Like any entrepreneur, Hathaway maintains a steady travel schedule, displaying Heather Lane brand pottery at a variety of craft shows around the nation. The company recently harnessed the retail power of the Internet as well, expanding the web site to allow customers to browse and purchase items online.
But Hathaway would rather get people into the studio. That's where the creativity happens. That's where customers can interact with the artists and "watch clay transformed from a cold, grey block to a beautiful work of functional art." And that progression, Hathaway says, allows people to truly appreciate the finished product.
"We have a lot of fun back there," she says. "And all that happiness is reflected in our work."
Liz Klimas is a freelance writer and a Grand Rapids native. She recently
wrote about Ada, MI for
Rapid Growth Media.
Photos:
Exterior of Heather Lane Pottery in Ada
Susan Hathaway
Throwing pots
Christening bowls are especially good sellers
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
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