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This holiday season, Denver-based ceramicist Sean VanderVliet has a gift for fans of the handmade, midcentury-modern home goods he sells under the Fenway Clayworks brand: his first-ever pop-up shop.
Located at 4317 Tennyson Street, in the former location of Berkeley Supply, the gallery-like space displays colorful stacks of the tableware VanderVliet has become known for (after creating designs for Room & Board, plus local eateries and cafes including Beckon, Avanti, Blue Sparrow Coffee, and Corvus), as well as rows of fully handmade table lamps, bedside wall sconces, and some never-before-seen designs.
“Having this physical space is giving me a chance to show off pieces I’ve had for a long time but never launched, from wall installations and ceramic art to hardwood furniture pieces made by my woodworker,” VanderVliet says. “There are coffee tables, side tables, and a really neat turntable console—pieces that don’t incorporate ceramic elements, but that are stylistically influenced by midcentury-modern Scandinavian design, which informs most of my work.”
The pop-up is also providing a welcome opportunity for VanderVliet to connect with customers and collaborate on custom pieces. “It’s been cool to get real-time feedback on what people like, and to sit down and talk about form, glaze texture, and color,” he says. “If someone wants a one-of-a-kind piece, I can sketch it right there, and it will be ready in four to six weeks.”
If you’re looking for a gift to take home today, don’t miss the vessels from the Palm Desert collection, which feature eye-catching stripes of red, orange, and navy underglaze; soothing Snowmass pitchers in buttermilk-white and blue celadon; sunny yellow Crested Butte mugs; and the La Jolla table lamp, which pairs a heavily textured stoneware clay base with an elegant turned-wood neck. Chances are, you’ll find the perfect present to put under your own tree, too.
If you go: The Fenway Clayworks pop-up is located at 4317 Tennyson St. and will be open through the end of the year, Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. You can preview the goods, or shop online, at fenwayclayworks.com.