New Owner Saves Creative Boise Business, Celebrates Re-Opening

When this business announced that they were closing for good in mid-November, it shattered Boise’s heart. They’d been a mainstay in the community for over two decades. 

Fans of Ceramica, a paint-your-own pottery business, found out that they were going out of business on November 15 via a social media post. That’s when they stopped accepting new walk-in painters, but gave those with unexpired gift certificates, works-in-progress and pick-ups another week of access to the studio. 

For years, Ceramica was an essential part of the Idaho Foodbank’s “Empty Bowls” event. Creative individuals could visit Ceramica, paint a bowl and donate it to be sold during the fundraiser. In their final days, they shared that their customers painted and donated 1,050 bowls to the 2022 “Empty Bowls” online sale. 

A few days before they closed, they shared a post directing you to a sales flyer indicating that the seller loved their business, but with a spouse retiring soon, the family was looking forward to traveling together. It listed the business for $88,000 cash.

Well, it looks like the price was right! Ceramica announced that they have fantastic new owners that took over at the end of December. After making a few tweaks, they re-opened on January 14. In their Facebook post, they said the new owners couldn’t be better qualified to take Ceramica to the next level. 

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Through a little Facebook sleuthing, we found out those new owners are the Hendershot family that owns Boise’s Parched Earth Pottery. According to his bio on the Boise Open Studios Collective Organization website, Jerry Hendershot has been a ceramic artist and instructor for over 20 years. He teaches 3D Design and Ceramics at Timberline High School.

The Hendershots plan to add some cool new opportunities to Ceramica including making your own pottery. And yes…contributing to Empty Bowls will continue to be part of the Ceramica DNA!