A Conversation with Kim Hanson of The Dover Pottery Studio
The lumbering trains ran alongside the M&M Bakery, just across the street from St. Marys Church. In the small morning hours, the smell of fresh baked bread and honey-dripped doughnuts permeated the neighborhood. M&M, once a significant source of Dover employment, saw a decline in the early 1960s, outpaced by larger, regional bakeries. Today, the old M&M has been transformed into a community hub housing The June Cork Pub, Tri-Star Gymnastics, Earth Harmony Wellness, The Sewing Tree, to name a few. And now in September, also the new home for the Dover Pottery Studio. In fact, the first full eight-week course sold out in three days.
Dover Pottery Studio founder, owner, entrepreneur, Kim Hanson, who’s been teaching pottery at Sanctuary Arts in Elliot, envisioned a space that would become an integral part of the community in what she describes as her “encore career.”
With her children grown and an empty nest, Kim says the studio gives her purpose. “I want to invite people to try out clay, be a hobbyist, or even make pottery their career.”
This sense of community and connection is also personal for Kim. “The pitchers in the logo, so I have lots of pitchers at home. Like all kinds of different ones from all different eras because my grandmother collected pitchers from around the world. And then I acquired the pitchers. So, I wanted my grandmother to be a part of—you know—she’s a part of me, and I wanted her to be a part of the studio.”
For the last thirty years, Kim has taught math. “I’ve taught everything from middle school math to adult education and even at the shipyard’s apprenticeship program,” Kim shares. “But opening this studio feels like coming home. It’s a chance to combine my love for teaching with my passion for pottery.”
“I wanted the studio to be called Dover Pottery Studio because of the community. I didn’t want it to be Kim’s Crafty Class. I wanted the studio to be a part of our community. I want the studio to be ingrained in Dover.”
Kim’s community-forward approach aligned with property owner Ben Kelly’s own vision for the M&M building, which prioritizes hosting businesses that bring value to the community. Kim said the M&M building on Third Street was one of three places she could have potentially opened her studio. “Ben and his property manager are amazing…” Kim explains. “They wanted to rent the space to someone who wanted to bring something to the community, and they helped with designing the space for a pottery studio.”
Dover Pottery Studio offers a range of classes to fit different schedules and interests. Students can choose from eight-week courses for in-depth learning, four-week courses for a shorter commitment, or single-day classes for a taste of pottery making. Upcoming classes include introductory sessions on handbuilding and wheel throwing. In addition to classes, the studio features a dedicated member space where potters can work on their own projects without interrupting classes. This private space is available 24/7.
“The members will have tables and wheels and other tools. They can be here at two o’clock in the morning, or 2 in the afternoon,” Kim says.
Just as the M&M Bakery once brought people together through bread, the Dover Pottery Studio now invites the community to come together and create something new.
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For more information on the Dover Pottery Studio, check out the website and their Facebook page.
