Q&A with Tom Henderson of Pendleton Ceramics
William "Tom" Henderson is a familiar face in Pendleton.
We sat down with Tom to chat about his business venture, Pendleton Ceramics, newly relocated to 148 S Main Street.
What motivated you to relocate to Main Street?
Pendleton Ceramics was established as a business in 2020 and run from my home on North Hill. I relocated and opened for retail sales in April for a few reasons, not least of which that I was running out of space! Producing pottery takes a lot of space and my basement was just not big enough. Deciding to become a distributor for Georgie's Ceramic and Clay required that I have a retail space. It's a win-win, as I can now sell my work to the general public. Eventually, as sales increase, I hope to expand to an offsite production facility that will give me a space to create jobs.
Your store offers a variety of ceramics. What are some of your most sold items, and what might people be surprised to find?
Dinnerware sold to hospitality or wholesale online distributors are my most frequently purchased items. Some of the most frequently purchased items in the store I make are mugs, vases, and ornaments. Additionally, clay and glazes to other potters are popular. Many people are surprised to find work from several local ceramic artists and ask about competition. Others are surprised to find non-ceramic art and other items from a variety of makers for sale as well.
Is everything in your shop made by you, or do you feature creations from other artists?
Most of the work I have for sale is made by me. However, I do have a good quantity of work produced by other artisans available for purchase in my store.
In addition to selling finished products, you also sell art supplies. What can artists stock up on at your store?
I'm currently stocking maker's tools and supplies for ceramic artists. I do plan on expanding this to other mediums as I recycle net revenue back into more products.
What initially drew you to pottery?
I've been producing art since childhood. It all started in 1988 when I ran out of painting and drawing supplies. I was given a lump of clay by my college girlfriend, and now wife, which started me on my ceramic journey. After being recruited to a different college in August 1990, I had trouble finding classes still open for enrollment and needed enough units to stay eligible for competing in college athletics. Ceramics was one of the few courses available, so my wife encouraged me to enroll. I was immediately fixated on the process and have been producing ceramics ever since. I continued exploring the medium, eventually obtaining degrees in ceramics and glass.
How is being located on Main Street different than your previous business locations?
This is my first brick-and-mortar business venture. Having set hours and people expecting my store to be open during those hours is new. Scheduling my production activities to coincide and work around these hours has been interesting. There are just some things I can't do while watching for patrons to visit the store.
Will you be teaching classes at your shop?
I do a small amount of custom instruction at my store. Scheduling offsite workshops—such as hand building at the Nixyáawii after-school program, pit fires, raku workshops, or other topics—are some options I offer.
In addition to being a Main Street business owner, you also recently formed a new nonprofit, Pendleton Artisan Network. How will PAN support the local artisan community?
My goal for the nonprofit I founded is to support area artisans in their journey to make a living selling the things they make. Part of that is to assist them to network with each other, support them in becoming entrepreneurs, support and resource off each other, and host educational workshops to fit their needs. PAN has an open survey to gain insight on their needs. I hope to eventually promote many artisans forming various local businesses.
Pendleton Ceramics is located at 148 S Main St.
Note, this article was first published in the Pendleton Downtown Association Newsletter.
