A New Chapter for Mango in a Pot
Hi, I’m Alyona.
If you’ve been around the studio for a while, you might already know this, but as of February I’m the owner of Mango in a Pot. I wanted to write a bit more personally about that - not as an announcement, but more as a hello.
After three years of building and caring for this studio, Sam has stepped away as owner. She created Mango in a Pot with a lot of warmth, openness, and trust, and that spirit is still very much present here. I’m deeply grateful to her for everything she built, and for trusting me to take care of the next chapter.
I first came to Mango in a Pot as a member. It was simply a place I liked being in: somewhere to work with clay, slow down, and share space with other people who enjoyed making things by hand. Over time, it became a place I cared about, not just for the work I made here, but for the community around it.
When the opportunity came to take over the studio from Sam, it didn’t feel like a big change in direction. It felt more like continuing something that already mattered.
What I care about most as an owner is keeping Mango in a Pot an easy, welcoming place to be. I like having clear structure and systems quietly working in the background - mostly so no one has to think about them while they’re actually working. The creative part should stay open, personal, and led by curiosity.
Outside of ceramics, I spend a lot of time making things with my hands in other ways too. I knit, I garden, and I’m drawn to slow processes that reward patience. In clay, handbuilding is especially close to my heart, and teaching it is something I genuinely enjoy: seeing people relax into the material and grow more confident over time is one of the best parts of running workshops here.
Mango in a Pot already has a thoughtful, generous community, and that’s something I want to protect. There will be small changes over time — clearer memberships, better systems, little improvements behind the scenes but the heart of the studio stays the same.
A place to come back to. A place to work at your own pace. A place where making things feels good.
I’m really looking forward to what we’ll make together next 💛