About Funkē Fired Arts
FUNKē Fired Arts started as Annie’s Mud Pie Shop around January of 1996. In 2004, as a student, Tom Funke (yes that is his real name) was looking for a place to continue his ceramic work. He came to Annie’s looking to take some classes and become more proficient in pottery. After completing a few classes, he began to teach hand building and wheel throwing to the students of Annie’s Mudpie Shop. Eventually, Annie told Tom that she was thinking of selling the studio and Tom could not stand to see it close. Less than 24 hours later, Tom decided that he was going to do anything that he could to purchase the studio.
He pulled together his resources and continued to teach until he was able to finally purchase the studio in September 2005. Annie stayed on board for a bit to help Tom get a hang of the business. After she left, Tom began crafting strategies to help the studio better accommodate all of the various customers. He concentrated on making the classes more exciting in addition to updating many aspects of the studio. Ben Clark and Jen Lewis joined the team to help with the teaching and retail responsibilities. Though Jen has moved on, Ben continues to be a fun, charismatic, and effective teacher. As the years passed, Tom continued to add more staff, more classes, more products, more content, and ultimately more value for every customer. FUNKē Fired Arts strives to give a well-rounded experience in the ceramic arts in all of its many forms.
Future plans include expanded educational opportunities and community outreach programs. The retail sector will benefit from the implementation of advanced technologies and fresh thinking, leading to a more satisfying experience for the customer. The gallery and gallery annex will continue to lead the way with cutting-edge exhibits and inspiring pieces, further advancing the overall enrichment of the studio as a whole. Overall, FUNKē Fired Arts will continue to be a resource, a destination, but ultimately an epicenter, for every aspect of the ceramic and fired arts.