Today we’d like to introduce you to Mallorie Terranova.
Hi Mallorie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I attended UNC Wilmington and received my Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art with a concentration in Ceramics and Photography. That’s when I discovered my infatuation with clay and pottery. From there I taught classes, apprenticed under another potter, and built out my own home studio. Slowly but surely Jars of Dust snowballed into a real little business out of an innocent hobby and in 2019 we opened up our retail store on 19th St, then moved into the warehouse space in 2021, and celebrated 10 years in business in 2025.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Jars of Dust has been incredibly blessed. The road to here has been, in retrospect, smooth but twisty turny and continues to be so, business ownership is just like that. There’s never an arrival, it’s all a process and a journey. Some of the struggles have been learning how to pivot with new trends and marketplace demands, hiring, creating a business structure that is sustainable, and scaling our handmade processes. All of which are still works in progress.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Jars of Dust is a pottery shop and studio specializing in functional and handmade stoneware ceramics – mainly kitchen and tableware for the home. We also share our love for clay with our local community by offering pottery classes.
I am most proud of getting to be a part of a community that really rallies around small and creative businesses. Virginia Beach has a genuine thirst for authenticity and the people that live here show up and support makers and artists in a real and genuine way.
Jars of Dust is set apart in a the pottery industry by being made up of a small team of potters that maintain the ability to create quality handmade work without getting heavy machinery involved. There’s a sweet spot inbetween machine made and backyard pottery studio and we try to stay very aware of it falling somewhere in the middle.
What makes you happy?
The age old question! Why is it always so hard to answer? I am at my happiest when I am able to zoom out on life and look at things from a bird’s eye view, realizing and being thankful for my family, friends, our cozy little home, the food on our table, our able bodies, the ocean that we live so close to, the safety of our neighborhood, and so many other countless simple blessings that are so easy to forget about.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jarsofdust.com
- Instagram: @jars.of.dust
- Facebook: @jarsofdust
