Just a little off Broadway in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. is a studio and shop that’s been turning out surprising and delightful stoneware. Legend has it that the 30 Beekman Street address was once a brothel. The current inhabitants don’t affirm or deny this legend, perhaps because it lends a sense of mystery to the place. Today, there is no doubt that the space is a reputable family business, and at its core is Pat Girard ’06, the creative impetus of Girard Stoneware.

Girard and his cousin Andrew Girard, who grew up together in nearby Glens Falls, established the business just a few months after Pat’s graduation from Green Mountain College. Girard Stoneware has already attracted a growing customer base and widespread media coverage including stories in the New York Times and the Albany Times Union.

“I like to think it has to do with the person-to-person attention we provide customers,” said Pat Girard. “We’re not doing cookie-cutter stuff. We’re creating original pieces designed around the needs of our clients.”

Girard was drawn to ceramics in high school, arranging his academic schedule so he could immerse himself in pottery. His father works as an administrator at Skidmore College, and Girard got summer jobs on campus working on the grounds crew. There he met Skidmore art professor Regis Brodie who became an early mentor.

“I apprenticed with him for about three years and got to work on his retrospective show. He did very large, impressive pieces like 40” wall platters. It helped me learn what was involved to do this seriously,” he said.

After graduating from high school, Girard had a “this is definitely the place for me” moment when he visited GMC for the first time. He originally enrolled in the K-12 art certification program—“everyone kept telling me I needed something to fall back on in case things didn’t work with ceramics,” he said—but he always knew his first goal was to start his own studio. In his senior year

he switched his major to fine arts and wrote out a business plan as part of his senior project with art professor Jen Baker. It turned out to be more than just an academic exercise.

“Pat has that dual sensibility of discipline and good aesthetic judgment,” said Baker, who contributed her own experience in arts management. “He wrote his plan knowing that he was developing this for academic credit, but also as a guideline to his own business.”

Girard says he still keeps the outline of his original business plan as a memento.

Prof. Karen Swyler was his ceramics teacher and mentor for most of his time at GMC. Girard was impressed with her devotion to her craft and to her students.

“Karen was a great motivator. She helped me be on task and encouraged me to stay and school to get my degree before starting out on my own,” Girard said.

Swyler invited Girard and other promising ceramic students to attend national conferences like the annual National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts. He went to nceca conferences in Pittsburgh and Louisville where he got to meet other young people passionate about making art.

“It definitely raised my sites,” said Girard. “Seeing the level of work being done was a little intimidating but it also helped me understand the commitment necessary to produce good work consistently. Karen gave me a lot of that insight and a sense of discipline.”

After graduation he formed a limited partnership with Andrew, a marketing major, and they rented the shop on Beekman Street, an artist enclave in Saratoga Springs. The Girards did all the renovations themselves, including installation of a studio in the basement, and design of the upstairs showroom. Through thoughtful use of color and lighting, the shop exudes an upscale, funky vibe.

Andrew’s brother Adam, who recently graduated from a masters program at SUNY-Albany, joined the family business this year. Andrew and Adam handle the marketing, merchandizing and customer relations, freeing Pat to do his thing in the subterranean studio. “I’m it!” Pat says, when describing his production staff.

In a good month, Girard says he turns out 50 to 60 objects including dinnerware, drinkware, bowls, pots and vases. He builds each piece by hand from a solid ball of clay, which is more durable than the liquid clay used at most bigger retailers.

Each piece is allowed to dry several days to several weeks depending on the size, texture and glaze. Girard’s stoneware is bisque fired in an electric kiln, a process that takes about 24 hours. “As a small business we have to be very strategic about firing—the kiln uses a lot of electricity. So we fire as many pieces as we can,” explains Andrew.

The Girards focus relentlessly on quality and customer service. They work closely with clients to develop specifications before Pat goes to work at the wheel. The process from a design to the finished product takes four to six weeks. During especially busy periods, it’s all hands on deck—during the recent holiday season, the Girards were delivering products to customers on Christmas Eve.

Pat likens the first three years in business as a real-world MBA. “We’ve learned a lot about business and we’ve learned from our mistakes. We’re working hard on our web presence and online sales, but we still believe it’s the person to person contact that sells our product.”
The Girards are already looking ahead to expansion plans. They plan to move the business to Glens Falls where they can rent a larger space with room for a coffee bar and studio space for teaching—Pat is still interested in passing on his love of creating art.

He is also sure enough in his craft and creativity to develop and create seasonal lines of products.

“When you do something over and over again, you’re more able to bring to life what you see in your head,” Pat relates. “My work definitely comes out of my teachers’ commitment. They’re great at their craft—I’d want to hear them say ‘great job, good stuff.’”



Story by Kevin Coburn
Photos by Paul Dahm