We first became attracted to pottery while still in high school. Watching a potter at an arts & crafts fair turn lumps of clay into shimmering pots was mesmerizing. Later, while attending Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University), Jan took her first ceramics class and told Jon, “You should try this. I think you would like it.” Boy, was she right! We were hooked. Other things seemed less important as we spent much of our time in the pottery studio. Before long, we were setting up our own studio, building a kiln, and selling at arts & crafts shows around Texas and beyond.

We were consumed with making pottery. As Jan says, “Pottery is not just a job; it’s a calling.” What appealed to us about pottery in the first place, beyond the process of making it (and this is very appealing) is its usefulness. The ability to take something as common as clay and use methods developed by humans at the dawn of civilization to turn it into functional and beautiful pottery is truly a wonderful privilege. We believe handmade pottery, used by people in their daily lives, has the ability to form a connection between the maker and the user. This connection and the love of making pottery continue to inspire us.

Traveling the show circuit through the years allowed us to meet and become friends with many wonderful potters. The pottery community is open, friendly, and giving. The Texas Clay Festival, which we, in conjunction with some of our potter friends, founded in 1993 and continue to run, is an expression of this sense of community, and we are proud to be a part of it.

While making pottery is the main driving force of our lives, building our own stone house and having a retail store has allowed us to grow and be involved in other things. Opening Brieger Pottery retail store on the Blanco town square in 1992 was a pivotal moment for us. This allowed us to have a permanent location to sell our pottery, the work of other talented local artists, crafts people, and a selection of products we like. The support we have received from the local community and visitors has been both important and rewarding. This has allowed us to grow our shop from a rather modest beginning to our current friendly, well-stocked destination.

Being part of and involved in the Blanco community is important to us. A moment that made us feel we were succeeding was when the local insurance agent told us, “You wouldn’t believe how many of the people I visit around here have your pottery in their homes.” We believe strongly in being involved with our local non-profits and community service organizations. Working actively with these groups is vital in promoting and making our little corner of the world a better, more prosperous place to live.

“ Be the change you want to see in the world.” -Gandhi