Mary Anne Davis of davistudio in Spencertown, NY, is a nationally recognized ceramic artist whose work can be seen across the country in galleries, stores and museums. So, while her high-end dinnerware and adorable giftware can be found in homes everywhere, Davis, her husband and their two chihuahuas are happy to be part of their Hudson Valley community. You can find Davis and her work at local pop-up holiday shops Farm + Flea at the Basilica in Hudson, N.Y. from Nov. 27- 29; Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Holiday Marketplace from Dec. 4-6 in Stockbridge, Mass.; and the Shire City Shindy in Pittsfield, Mass. from Dec. 11-13. I was born in suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved to the suburbs of Detriot, Michigan for high school. I attended the University of Wisconsin Madison for two years and then the wonderful Cranbrook Academy of Art where I earned a BFA in ceramic arts.
I then moved to Chicago for four years, where I met my husband. After we got married, we moved to New York City in 1985, and I attended grad school at the School of Visual Arts. I worked for Betty Woodman, then Ursula von Rydingsvard, and eventually started my studio as a business in the 1990s. I’d given up ceramics for a while, but ended up going back to it. In 2000, we moved to Spencertown, where I have a separate building on the property for my studio. I love the quiet here; I’m able to focus on my work and I can get so much more done. It’s a completely different animal than living in the city. I also love the food -- not only restaurants, but the actual food that I eat. Our diets have changed substantially since we moved here; we buy food from farms tended by people we know personally who have become our friends. My body and mind are changing for the better and I’m excited by how that is reflected in my work.
I’m a member of the Friends of Historic St. Peter's, which works to restore and maintain the historic church building. It’s an extremely progressive church that is focused on social justice and human rights. It’s very modest, nobody tries to make anyone think differently and there’s no dogma. I go on Sundays to center myself. We have an amazing little community here. I’m so lucky to be able to find smart and talented young people to work for me in the studio, which has itself become a little community.
