Rise & Shine
From Davies High School to downtown Fargo, former teacher and potter Kelsey Williams has fired up her dreams and molded a bright new life, one lump of speckled clay at a time. Last summer, her love of teaching and creating intersected at the edge of downtown Fargo with the opening of Rising Dawn Ceramics studio. Here, Kelsey’s sunny disposition awakens well-crafted artistry in home and kitchenware — each piece primed for the gallery yet durable enough for the galley. More than just an eclectic place to shop and explore, Rising Dawn invites aspiring potters to get their hands dirty, offering classes and shared studio space for those eager to spin the wheel and shape a life they love.
story by TRACY NICHOLSON | photos by STUDIO FRESHLY + KELSEY WILLIAMS
Heart, Fire & Soul
Founded in 2020, Rising Dawn Ceramics was born from challenge and triumph. “When I started the business, 2019 had been a bad year for me. I went through some things where life kind of started over,” said Williams. “Rising Dawn felt like a new day.” Dawn is Kelsey’s middle name, and rising above is exactly what she did.
Originally from Austin, MN, Kelsey had always loved art but never had the opportunity to take art classes. In fact, she didn’t encounter clay until she enrolled at Minnesota State University Moorhead. “There was a moment in my first class where we had to make our own clay. We had this big box of clay, so we had to slam it, put it into cubes, and wedge it — it’s hard work, I was sweating. There was this kid next to me, and I remember I stopped and looked at him and said, ‘Do you ever have a feeling like this is just what you’re meant to be doing?’ I was getting that feeling, like I had a weird wash over when I was wedging this clay,” explained Williams. This moment catalyzed every moment after.
Kelsey went on to complete her education classes, then chose clay for her upper-level studios, earning an Art Education degree.
In 2017, she planted roots and accepted the uncommon position of teaching clay at the high school level.
While gaining the confidence to teach others at Davies High School, Kelsey worked on perfecting her own artistry. In 2020, she began selling her work, a launching point she attributes to COVID, a time when many were eager to support small businesses. Last spring, she made the difficult decision to leave her high school classroom and create her own classroom within the Rising Dawn Ceramics studio. Initially, she tried to talk herself out of transitioning from teacher to entrepreneurial artist, but this is one light that couldn’t be dimmed.
Today, Kelsey’s artistry speaks for itself, living in homes across the Midwest. In her home, she’s now the mother of three-year-old Vera, so life as a business owner gives her family flexibility. “I’m here a lot more in the evenings for classes, but we love our time together and taking life slow,” said Williams. Kelsey and her husband Edward, also a teacher, are often seen working together at markets and events.
Happy Art
Keeping her mind and hands busy at her studio’s throwing wheel, she’s found distraction-free peace, sharing and honing her craft with others. Happy art suits and soothes her. “I have a lot of sun themes in my work, so it kind of ties it together,” said Williams. “I wanted my work to be bright and light and just feel happy.”
Downtown Fargo and its vibrant culture creators only add to her happiness. “I love the feeling of being downtown, and I love the Red River Market here,” said Williams. “We have a very unique farmer’s market, it’s much different than what you would see in other cities. I also love the Unglued Craftfest, it’s so much fun. It’s amazing to see the hard work that Ashley (Morken) puts in. Being at these events doesn’t feel like work—like I’m giving up a Saturday—it’s just such a fun environment of music, food, and other local businesses.”
Bright & Light
Throughout her studio, Kelsey’s signature style is light, bright, neutral, and minimal — staying away from moody ceramics. “I like to keep my work bright. Pink and dark green are my staples, I will probably never stop using those colors,” added Williams.
Kelsey also prefers underglaze, which means crisp lines and flat colors. You’ll only find the more typical shinier glaze in her vases. “I’m really drawn to underglaze because a lot of my work is more color block and modern,” explained Williams. “Most of my work is very simple. If you look at the shape of the pieces, glazing is where I do most of my expression. So, throwing is the quickest part of the process and glazing takes the longest.”
“My favorite pieces to glaze are mugs and I love creating things like the vases with handles — those are my treats to myself,” added Williams. “I also like kinetic art, making things that can move. These are pieces that I make when I need a break, a refresh, or some new inspiration. I’ve been dabbling with really fun handles, and sometimes hearts, scallops, or flowers on pieces. I’m also looking at new, fun mug shapes. I can still do fun glazing on a fun shape, so I’m kind of in a redesigning process right now, giving some of my other designs a glow-up.”
FUNctional
As a local maker, it’s an ongoing challenge to compete with big-box stores, but Kelsey ensures her work is attainable for everyone and durable for daily use. She stays away from delicate porcelain, using only stoneware clay, known for its durability. All Rising Dawn Ceramics products are microwave and dishwasher safe.
In this new season of life, Kelsey is keeping her white glaze and speckled clay but slowly drifting away from straight-walled work, finding herself throwing pieces with ample curve and texture. She’s also trying her hand at rose and blue tones. “I rarely use blue because a lot of my work is warm, but I’m dabbling in some cooler colors,” explained Williams. “I’m also doing an experiment to see if people still like chartreuse... I’ll let you know.”
“When I’m glazing, I think about my friends and the people I know and their different styles,” added Williams. “I ask myself if there’s something for everyone. Most of my customers are women, but I do try to have some masculine work, neutral work, and more eccentric, colorful work.”
“My work isn’t meant to just sit — that’s been really important to me from the very beginning,” added Williams. “I know there’s a certain price level that intimidates people or can make them scared to use it and break it. I have a few home and living pieces, but most of my products are kitchenware, so I want people to feel comfortable using them, eating off them, and drinking from them.”
Shop Rising Dawn Ceramics
While much of Kelsey’s work has transitioned from Etsy to her website, you can still shop Rising Dawn pieces within her studio and local boutiques like Fargo’s Baker Garden & Gift, Unglued, and Handpicked Goods. Her work can also be found at the new Sifted & Sweet Baking Co. in Moorhead and Bernie’s café, bakery, and market in Grand Forks. At Fargo’s 701 Eateries and Rosewild, you may have even experienced her artistry at work — under your entree or holding your coffee.
If you need a great universal gift, Kelsey recommends a cup of sunshine. “Mugs are where people usually have more expression in the kitchen,” said Williams. “People also tend to have many different mugs, so it’s easy to add a mug to a collection.”
One of her unexpected best sellers are the spoon rests and salt cellars. “These are pieces that people don’t always have, and they have a very functional use,” explained Williams. “My salt cellars are typically placed near the stove, they’re like a little cave for coarse grain salt, with tiny spoons for seasoning.”
If you’re looking for something more personal and one-of-a-kind, Kelsey’s happy to take on custom orders. “I love a challenge, so I get requests, and I try my best to work with people and design things with them,” said Williams. “I’ve done everything from different kitchenware to a chinchilla egg for someone’s pet chinchilla. I’ve gone all over, and I love it — it gives me a zest and new challenge in my day.”
Take a Class
In Rising Dawn Ceramic Studio classes, all skill levels are welcome. Follow on social or head to the website to explore an array of classes and try your hands at pottery. This is where imperfections are welcome, and any skill level is encouraged to learn and grow. “We are all about digging into creativity with clay,’ said Williams. “It’s our way of molding more than just art; it’s a community coming together, getting down and dirty with the joy of making.”
In Kelsey’s more approachable beginner classes like handbuilding, students leave with a finished product. “If you can assemble a piece of furniture and follow steps, you can do pottery — you just follow the steps, take your time, and you’re good,” said Williams.
In Rising Dawn Ceramic Studio
“Throwing on the wheel usually surprises people at how difficult it is initially,” she added. “That’s something that’s more like a sport and it takes hours of practice, then once it clicks, you can grow that skill. Usually, people are a little humbled when they try out the wheel throwing. I had a good number of people take the succession wheel throwing, and then become members, so they can continue practicing. If you’re really wanting to learn, that’s the route that makes the most sense.” Kelsey’s interest in ceramics goes beyond artistic creation, she also loves that it keeps her mind and hands occupied, away from the lure of technology.
“That was a big part of why I wanted to not only do my art but also get people in here to learn a new craft as an adult — just to detach from life and learn something new, get your hands dirty,” said Williams.
Rising Dawn Studio Memberships
If you’re already experienced in every stage of the ceramic process, you’re invited to join Rising Dawn’s studio memberships, providing a creative workspace to throw/build, trim, dry, and glaze during set studio hours. Rising Dawn Ceramics will even fire the work for you.
Studio membership is for independent work time and does not include studio instruction from staff. Here, local artists can rent studio storage and gain access to pottery wheels and tools. Studio membership includes personal shelf space and half a kiln load of glaze firing per month. Additional firing space can be purchased, and Rising Dawn memberships run in three-month increments at $55 a month.
“Pottery is an expensive hobby or craft, so it was important for me to offer other people in the community access to the equipment,” explained Williams. “This just works like a gym membership, we have open studio hours that they can come in and throw or hand-build, and then they have their product storage and stuff, and the studio does their firings.”
Host a Private Event
Host your next team-building event, party, or get-together at the Rising Dawn studio in downtown Fargo. You bring the food and drink, Rising Dawn brings the education, providing a thorough clay lesson. Find free parking on the east side of the building.
Full Circle
For Kelsey, her career and passion have officially come full circle, taking a leap that forced her to set aside fear, leave formal teaching, and open Rising Dawn Ceramics’ first brick-and-mortar.
“I’ve had this idea ever since I started in 2020, but I convinced myself that it would never happen,” said Williams. “So, I’m still processing that. I actually just spoke at Davies for their career day, so it was fun to go back and see the students. I talked about artists and small business, but I also encouraged them. Just because we pick a major, a career, or college, we are allowed to change our minds. We are not locked in - it’s scary, but it’ll be ok. I know it can be really stressful at that age to figure it out, so that was the main thing I really wanted to translate to them. It’s important to do something you love.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Rising Dawn Ceramics
307 Main Ave. Fargo
701.566.0855
risingdawnceramics.com
FB: Rising Dawn Ceramics
Insta: @risingdawnceramics
Studio Insta: @studio.risingdawnceramics