Posted on 03.24.17

Lori Linthicum, gallery manager for the Potters’ Guild of Frederick’s Downtown shop (the guild, by the way, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year) says that a mug is “perhaps the most personal item” that a potter makes.

This translates into the way a customer chooses a mug, she relates. First, the color is usually what makes a person pick up a mug, whether it’s a dreamy blue or the earth tones of one that has been fired in a wood-burning oven. People will cradle the mug to find the perfect fit for when they wrap their cold hands around a steaming cup of coffee. Size is also important, whether you want a dainty vessel for tea or a giant mug to hold the gallons of coffee needed at work. If you get the right one, it will be your go-to even when your cupboard is overflowing with other cups and mugs.

“Everybody likes a different style,” Linthicum says, adding that mugs make a perfect gift. “At Christmas, I’m always telling the potters we need more mugs.”

The store, located down the steps at 14 S. Market St., is stocked by the creations of 16 members who put their own distinctive spin on this utilitarian part of daily life.