ABOUT US
Yellow Door Ceramics Studio was founded in 2021 by co-owners Felissa King and Amanda Pennington. It is located at the Meadows Design Complex in central Indianapolis.
The creation of Yellow Door is a classic 21st century story.
Neither Amanda nor Felissa are Indianapolis natives. When Felissa moved to the city in 2018 she was looking for a place to create pottery and began following other ceramic artists in Indy on social media. She needed some recommendations so she slid into Amanda's Instagram DMs. Amanda, having only moved to the city a year prior, did not know much about the Indianapolis art scene at the time but she did desperately want to make some friends (who can relate?). The two met up for dinner, conversation flowed, and a friendship was born. Oh, and one minor detail: Felissa was almost hit by a car while exiting the building (traumatic), but we will save that part of the story for another day. The two dreamed for years, while sitting at their finance desk jobs, of opening a community studio together.
That day has finally arrived and we are so excited to share it with you!
OUR STAFF
FELISSA KING
Co-Owner / Instructor
Felissa has always loved art, but jumped into 3D work with a BFA in sculpture in 2016. After graduation, she began focusing on pottery as a member at BRICK Ceramic in Cleveland, prior to moving to Indianapolis and becoming a member at the Fountain Square Clay Center. Her work centers around botanicals and her love of gardening, using sliptrailed underglaze and carving to create detailed illustrated surfaces. In her free time, you can find in her yard working on a variety of projects, reading on her front porch, riding her scooter Daisy, or biking around Indianapolis.
AMANDA PENNINGTON
Co-Owner / Instructor
Amanda Pennington received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Ceramics from Western Kentucky University (WKU) in May of 2016. Prior to graduation, Amanda worked as the summer clay intern at the Appalachian Center for Craft and as a ceramic technician at WKU. Following graduation, she continued her involvement in the craft school community by working as an Educational Assistant at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, as well as assisting at Penland School of Crafts. Amanda is now the co-owner of Yellow Door Ceramics Studio in Indianapolis, IN.
SARAH RICHCREEK
INSTRUCTOR - Intro to Wheel, One-Night Class
A teacher at heart, Sarah's teaching experience spans from wheel-thrown pottery, silversmithing, open-fire cooking/baking and yoga. Sarah earned her BFA at Ball State University in 2008. Though her focus was in metalsmithing, she took all of the ceramics courses BSU offered; finding clay the perfect counter to the rigidity of metal. Life brought her to work at Conner Prairie in 2012 where she began her decade-long journey as a potter; demonstrating and reproducing early 19th century pottery as well as teaching wheel-throwing classes in the modern studio. She's currently a production potter at Gravesco Pottery. When she's not working with clay, she's usually teaching, practicing or thinking about yoga.
DANIELLE PUGEL
INSTRUCTOR - Intro to Wheel
Danielle is an Indianapolis-dwelling creative that is freshly back on the scene after the wild ride of becoming a mom! Offering experience in hand building and wheelthrowing, Danielle has taught a number of community art classes for children and adults (in Indiana and Arkansas!). You may remember her face from her time creating work and educational videos for AMACO! In her beginner wheelthrowing class, you can look forward to learning about ceramics as well as your own ability to take on challenges and growth creatively. (Not to mention colorful and bold surface decoration, interesting glaze techniques, and more.)
CHRISTINA NGUYEN
INSTRUCTOR - Intro to Wheel, One-Night Class
Christina has always had a passion for art, trying different mediums and experimenting with them. It wasn’t until high school that she picked up clay and started hand-building. After taking a wheel throwing class in her second year of college, she began delving further into the world of ceramics. Valuing experimentation and exploration, she loves to try out different glazes and techniques in her work!
When she’s not in the studio, she enjoys exploring Indianapolis for new restaurants and stores to try out or snuggling with her cat at home!
TRACEE ELLIS
INSTRUCTOR - Kids and Teens, Intro to Wheel, One-Night Class
Tracee has an extensive background in visual arts and has served years in the classroom as an art educator. She has experience in wheel-throwing and hand-building, and has taught countless children, teens, and adults through her love for clay. Her favorite things about ceramics are how forgiving the medium is, the ability to create something out of nothing, and how therapeutic the process is. Inspired by botanicals and glaze experiments, Tracee looks forward to each piece coming out of the kiln to see how her creativity comes to fruition.
ABIGAIL CHIKKALA
INSTRUCTOR - One-Night Class
I'm a designer turned lawyer obsessed with ceramics. I love ice cream, dark chocolate, Indian food & all things delicious. I'm a distance runner and yoga-wannabe. I call Indianapolis home. I try to travel to a new place every year, but I don't forget to adventure locally. Catch me thrifting, at a coffee shop, in the courthouse, or behind the potters wheel!
KATYA REINHARD
INSTRUCTOR - Intro to Handbuilding
Katya Reinhard is a ceramicist based in Indianapolis who primarily focuses in altering wheel thrown vessels with handbuilt elements. Their work tackles the intricacies of human relationships expressed through natural formations and plant imagery. Katya graduated in 2021 from Herron School of Art and Design with a BFA in ceramics and a minor in art history.
WHY "YELLOW DOOR"?
We want our studio to feel inviting, warm, creative, and inclusive. Our "Yellow Door" is your welcome sign: come on in.
Felissa's front door is painted yellow on the inside, and it adds a warmth and energy as she heads out into the day. This was the initial inspiration for our brand, and we hope it provides the same feeling when you enter our studio.
Plus, we want it to be easy to know you're in the right place. Just look for the Yellow Door.
