Our Story

It all began with the dream of owning a pottery studio!

My name is Babett and I opened the doors to Squeaky Wheel Pottery in the Spring of 2022.

Born and raised in Germany and now firmly rooted in Minnesota for the last 20 years, I find myself drawn to functional pottery and truly embraces the idea of someone using my work daily or even just occasionally. The thought of my mugs becoming a morning coffee favorite, or planter pots getting filled with a special little offspring from grandma’s indoor plant is such a gratifying feeling! Making bowls for my college-aged kids still leaves me with a sense of “nourishing” them, and being able to send a knitting bowl to my yarn-loving Mother in Germany (which, by the way, shattered into a thousand pieces in the mail before she patiently glued them all back together) simply just wärmt mein Herz (warms my heart)!

Creating new shapes and forms, experimenting with texture, glazes, carvings and curves has become a passion of mine. The therapeutic benefits of working with clay have forced me to slow down, become more patient and mindful and give up some of that internal control we all love to hang onto. It allows for endless exploration and creativity.

My hope is to continue my adventures in clay through lifelong learning of new pottery techniques, sharing my skills and the studio space with others and surrounding myself with like- minded people who deeply appreciate a hand-forged piece of pottery. Along with my amazing team, I teach a variety of our studio courses: 2 hour workshops, 4 week classes, kids & teen claytimes and private group sessions.

Meet our team of instructors

Jules

Jules has been a potter since her college days. She has her own studio in Hastings, Minnesota where she makes functional pottery with a splash of whimsy. Jules brings a relaxed and compassionate atmosphere to our classes, encourages exploration and helps our students to “get out of your comfort zone”. She has a very relatable, no-nonsense approach to teaching and will make anyone feel welcome in our studio! Jules teaches our 2 hour workshops, 4 week Beginner classes and Private Group sessions.

When not making pottery, you can find her outdoors with her Golden Doodles or being a pastor at the All Saints Lutheran Church, ELCA in Cottage Grove.

Sam

Sam has worked with clay from a young age, taking his first wheel class at 5 years old. Art has been a constant throughout his life and ceramics his preferred medium in recent years.

Sam enjoys the creative process as much as the final outcome. He values his time in the studio, whether making or teaching. These experiences are therapeutic and provide a necessary balance in his life. Sam teaches our Friday night 2 hour workshops.

You can find Sam's work on Instagram @firethaw and occasionally at galleries in the metro area. He also sells his work, primarily in the Squeaky Wheel Pottery store.

Jennifer

For more than 8 years Jennifer has been instructing people of all ages to make pottery. Seeing beginners master the skill of centering and finally achieving some height from the clay is what motivates her in teaching. Guiding intermediate students in the exploration of new shapes and forms while using her patient and insightful methods allows for technical growth as well as creative freedom. Jennifer teaches our Saturday morning 2 hour workshops, Beginner 1 & 2 classes, as well as private group sessions.

Stoneware is Jennifer’s clay of choice. In her home studio she creates functional pottery with delicate brushwork, often depicting bees.

Brian

Brian has been hand-building sculptures and other abstract art with clay since he was 6 years old. At the age of 15 he started exploring functional pottery creating cups, bowls, plates and other open vessels. His preference varies from moment to moment. He says: “Sometimes my hands don’t have the patience for calm so I tend to fidget and create abstract art like sculptures. Other times I may end up mixing the two together. I just let the hands do the work while my brain wanders, embodying the term “Automatism” - just creating without an idea of creating.”

Aside from using clay he enjoys to play guitar, paint, draw and do creative writing/story telling. When he feels as though he’s stuck in one form, he will dabble in these others to help him create.

Another expression of art, for him, is being an athlete. Movement is an art that he finds beautiful. Whether it be gymnastics, weightlifting, sprinting or yoga. They all have a unique flow and intensity to them.

Although he has been teaching pottery for only a short amount of time, he acquired the skills to teach, instruct or mentor from his time in the military and coaching fitness. Both for 10 years, give or take. Brian teaches our Friday night workshops, hand-building classes and private group sessions.