On The Pot Pottery

On The Pot is a locally owned walk-in pottery studio where you can paint a wide variety of different pottery pieces. Located on 111 N Santa Fe Ave, On The Pot is a great place to go if you are looking for something fun to do in Salina. 

The building was purchased and opened back in 2002 by two sisters who are Salina natives. Prior to opening, both sisters attended and graduated from Kansas State University. Julie Cates graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology from Kansas State and then attended The University of Illinois where she graduated with a Master of Science Degree. Her sister, Robin Cates, got a degree in Organizational Management and Leadership. On The Pot was originally supposed to be a five-year plan but opened up only five months later. Throughout its many years of being opened, On The Pot has been recognized as a nationally-owned business and has appeared on many popular tourist websites and blogs such as Kansas Tourism and One Delightful Life. Today, On The Pot is still continuing to thrive downtown and business is blooming. 

What makes On The Pot a unique place is that they are a walk in studio, which means that anyone can come in and paint a piece anytime with no reservation required. On The Pot has many unique pieces that anyone can paint which include plates, cups, bowls, piggy banks, and other fun pieces. They also have a huge selection of paints to choose from as well. Prior to painting the staff will give brief instructions and tips on how to paint your choice of pottery. Once you are finished painting you will leave your piece of pottery at the store to be fired and it can be picked up a week later. One KWU student who works there says that “I really enjoy working at On The Pot because I like getting to meet new people that come to the store to paint, and I also like to see the creativity that customers have when they paint their projects. I have been working at On The Pot for a few years now so I have seen some really incredible pieces that people have painted.”  To learn more about how the pottery painting works you can visit the link at https://www.paintourpot.com/how-it-works. 

If people don’t feel like rushing to get their projects painted or simply don’t have a lot of time to spend at On The Pot’s studio the “Pottery to Go” option may be another idea to consider. All you have to do is either stop by On The Pot’s Studio to pick out a piece or send them an email or a message on Facebook. They will then send you a photo of the current selections they have for painting. This option is perfect for those who enjoy painting pottery, but also don’t have the time to actually go to On The Pot to paint. To learn more about how “Pottery to Go” works visit the link https://www.paintourpot.com/to-go-pottery. 

Not only does On The Pot Pottery  offer pottery painting but they also offer classes as well. On their website it says that “we are very involved in our industry. We write curriculum books that other studios use to teach our classes in their stores and we teach business and technique classes at our annual national convention. We also have a super fun event in our studio every year called the Kansas Mini Convention. Studio owners from all over the country come to Salina once a year to take classes.”

One of On The Pot Pottery’s best sellers are their group events. These events are for groups over ten people and have many benefits included with them. Some of these benefits include: reduced rates on studio fees, choice of pottery piece and paint, and can invite a range from 10-32 other guests. This event is the perfect idea for hosting any sort of party or having a get together with friends and family. One student who is a Salina local says “I remember going to On the Pot all the time when I was a kid for birthday parties and other events. I still have all of the pottery pieces I painted at different parties with me. To this day I still enjoy going to On The Pot with my friends and family to paint a new project.” 

If you are looking for a place to paint a piece of pottery or simply looking for something to do, On the Pot is definitely a place to consider. It is located only a few minutes away from campus on 111 N. Santa Fe and their hours are 12-6 on Tuesdays-Thursdays, 12-8 on Fridays, and 10-8 on Saturdays.