We're Austin and Courtney Cook, husband and wife, parents, and owners and makers at The Clay Plant, a pottery studio located in rural Bloomingdale, Indiana!

We started our online business in 2017 and completed our dream pottery studio in October 2023. Funny enough, neither of us went to college for ceramics! Austin studied computer technology, and Courtney studied graphic design, but we both grew up loving pottery and never expected it to become our full-time career.

Today, Austin throws all of our pottery on the wheel, while Courtney handles the glazing, decorating, and creative side of the business. Everything is handmade from start to finish, with a focus on colorful, functional pottery meant to be used and enjoyed every day.

Along with shipping our pottery around the world, we're busy raising our growing family and love welcoming visitors to our studio during special events throughout the year!

Austin creates all of our pottery on the wheel, with a focus on making pieces that are both beautiful and functional. His love for ceramics actually grew from his love for food. While his college instructors encouraged him to create pottery with deeper artistic meaning, Austin just wanted to make a really great bowl to eat out of!

He's also our jack of all trades. With a background in technology, he's always finding creative ways to build equipment, improve our processes, and make things run more efficiently around the studio.

Outside of pottery, Austin loves golfing, cooking, and spending time with our family.

THE DESIGNER

Courtney handles all of the glazing, decorating, photography, branding, and marketing for The Clay Plant. She's loved art since she was little and studied ceramics throughout school before pursuing a degree in graphic design.

She's especially known for experimenting with colorful glaze combinations and creating the signature drippy finishes that have become a Clay Plant favorite. She's always dreaming up new designs, glaze combinations, and creative ideas for the studio!

Outside of pottery, Courtney also works as a freelance graphic designer and social media manager. She loves chocolate, CrossFit, The Office, and spending time with our family and two mini dachshunds, Nile and Roe.

Living in rural Parke County, Indiana, means our schedule looks a little different than most pottery studios!

Throughout the year, we release small batches of handmade pottery through our online shop and ship orders around the world. During the summer, we shift our focus to preparing for the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, one of Indiana's largest festivals.

In 2026, The Clay Plant became one of the first new official festival locations added in more than 30 years! Each October, our property transforms into Clay Plant Market, featuring talented artisans, small businesses, food vendors, and thousands of visitors over ten days.

While our studio isn't open for regular in-person shopping, we love welcoming visitors during special events throughout the year! Check out our upcoming events to see when you can visit us.

221 W 500 N, Bloomingdale, IN 47832