Marta Kirsten Ceramics On Being Welcomed To The Community

Marta Johnson of Marta Kirsten Ceramics discuss her pottery business and its community reception

There has never been a more important time for members of Chattanoogans to step up to support local artists. Community members need to continue to show the love and goodwill that they have shown in the past towards local creatives, like the reception that they have given to Marta K. Johnson.

Marta first discovered her creative talents while in high school in Iowa. There she was lucky to have a great teacher who allowed her to explore her interests in the arts and to work at her own pace. While in college, Marta studied nursing but invested much of her class time into courses involving the fine arts.

When it comes to inspirations, Marta always goes back to her high school art teacher Hank Hall. The way that he allowed her to pursue her interests and grow as an artist had a huge effect on her and still gives her inspiration to this day.

“He really pushed me to become more comfortable and to explore what truly interested me,” Marta said. “It helped a lot in me developing my own style.

Having her own studio was always a dream for Marta, and when she moved to Chattanooga 5 years ago, she started taking steps to make it a reality. Marta says that she has received overwhelming support and positive reception from the community. She has loved being able to meet other local potters and says that everyone who she has met has had a big effort to help her by sharing experiences that they have had or getting to know Marta and her own experiences with creating.

“When I was in a time crunch for one project and my kiln broke, all the local potters that I reached out to for kiln space and repair tips were so friendly and helpful,” Marta shared.

Marta shared that her current goals for her business are for her to work on improving her techniques and evolve her style. She genuinely wants to make ceramics for people that they will love and want to use every day.

You can learn more about Marta Kirsten Ceramics by visiting their Instagram and Facebook pages. Marta does take commissions and can be contacted through those pages!