Maria Poliszuk

Let me introduce myself... Maria, Studio Manager. Not to be confused with Marie, Crossings owner. But everyone confuses us, so I will answer to either name.

I do whatever needs to be done to keep things rolling at the studio. Or I let someone else know it needs to be done and they do it. Keeping track of stuff at the studio is a big job, like how much clay and glaze we have, and getting resupplied. I also do most of the clay recycling at the studio. I have some handy skills that I put to use often, like carpentry, plumbing and electrical work. My nickname is MacGyver, as it seems I am "armed with almost infinite scientific resourcefulness".

I enjoy teaching kids camps and adult classes. Helping others to enjoy working with clay is so rewarding. Each person approaches ceramics with a unique personality and it shows in their work. The most important thing that I teach is to allow yourself to fail, and go on from there. People can be so hard on themselves, and I want to help them learn from their experiences and grow in their pottery skills and as a person.

You will usually see me in the studio with my dog, Phoenix. She loves hanging out with everyone at the studio. Phoenix is the big white dog with little black spots. Orielle Jeanne (Marie's dog) is the little white dog with big black spots. Their spots might actually be the same size, given that the size of the dog changes our perception of the size of the spots.

I started in ceramics with a clay class at Crossings almost ten years ago, now. Most of my work is created on the wheel, but I also enjoy coiling very large pots and building boxes out of slabs. I have made a lot of honey pots, and also make the wooden dipper that is in them.