Lakeside Pottery is a ceramic art and craft educational resource for the community focusing on clay art. We seek to inspire creativity, foster self-discovery, and nurture an appreciation to learn about art through our pottery programs, special events and access to our studio, clay center and gallery.
Lakeside Pottery is owned and managed by the husband and wife team of Patty Storms and Morty Bachar.
Brief business history: Since the Newfield Avenue Studio opened it's doors in Feb 26 2002, there have been over 4,500 enrollments to date for classes, workshops, summer camp, corporate team building activities, birthday party events, sculpting seminars, teacher development and training courses and consulting services for other studios and schools. Lakeside Pottery offers open studio, free pottery workshops to the public. Lakeside Pottery is affiliated with several organization in Southern Connecticut (Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Darien and Stamford Continuing Education, Stamford Downtown) where they offer programs to their communities using our offerings.
Company's guiding philosophy: "To manage a pottery studio and school where newcomers to pottery and ceramic art as well as professional artists can come to create in a place with an atmosphere of warmth, sharing and love of clay." "To be part of the community, share our knowledge, ideas and a portion of the profits to make the community a better and more art-appreciative place."
The Instructors
Morty Bachar is a proprietor of Lakeside Pottery. After leaving the corporate world , he pursued his passion for art and pottery and is now an accomplished ceramic artist and pottery teacher. His work is exhibited and sold in shows. He instructs beginner and advanced pottery students on the potters wheel, conducts corporate team building workshops, and is a consultant to schools, businesses and studios. Morty trains teachers and advises in studio design, equipment and material selection and use. To see Morty's work
Patty Storms, proprietor of Lakeside Pottery, is a painter and ceramic artist. She began her love for pottery under the instruction of Ken Kantro, (Lovell Designs) in Portland, Maine. After graduating from Wesleyan University she worked at both Christie's and LIGHT Gallery in New York City in the field of 19th and 20th century photography. She teaches the potters wheel and handbuilding/sculpting in both children and adult classes. She manages open studio, conducts corporate team building workshops and birthday parties and trains teachers in ceramic techniques. Patty's work is sold in galleries and in exhibits. To see Patty's works
Jon Puzzuoli is a young budding artist from Stamford, CT. Before making the transition to clay Jon studied black and white photography for four years. Once Jon touched clay he knew he found his future in the arts. Jon has a home studio and is selling via galleries and commissions. Jon has been working at Lakeside Pottery for nearly three years. He teaches both adult and children's classes along with being an open studio manager. To see Jon's work
Lily Schor learned ceramics with Bruno La Vediere and Tom Suomalnin at the Cooper Square Art School in NYC, and with Mikhael Zakin at Greenwich House Pottery. Lily opened Stepping Stone Pottery in Brooklyn, NY where she taught and made her own work. Lily later moved to Westchester, NY where she held several positions teaching pottery to adults and children. She was a production potter selling her work to galleries in NYC & Maine. Lily's work was exhibited in several shows, galleries and museums. Currently she teaches pottery at Lakeside Pottery in Stamford, CT, is a member of Portchester Clay Art Center, Hudson River Potters Assoc., Blue Door Gallery and N.C.E.C.A. To see Lily's work
Rachel Watts, originally a Tennessee native, graduated from UConn with a degree in Linguistics and Psychology. She has a passion for both teaching and art and animation. Since graduating she worked in Boston as a special education teacher for students diagnosed primarily with Autism. She worked in both private and public schools as well as in the home collaborating with behaviorists, teachers, and parents to assess the educational and structural needs of children and their families. Rachel is a student at Lakeside Pottery and an intern helping to manage Open Studio. She is also working at Lakeside Pottery as a teacher's assistant for children's classes and special events programs.
