About Christopher Jones

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Born Christopher Arthur Jones in Morristown NJ on September 9th 1973 to Roy and Zandra Jones, Christopher and family moved to MN in 1974. Growing up in the Midwest, Christopher found joy in sports, the outdoors and, at 16, his love of clay. He also developed a slight distain for ridiculously cold winters and maddeningly humid, mosquito infested summers.  

 

In 1996, fueled by the excitement of youth and a need to explore a new territory, Christopher moved to Portland OR to attend the Oregon College of Art and Craft to pursue a BFA in ceramics. In 2001, after four years of study and a rigorous Thesis production and presentation, Christopher realized his dream and accepted his BFA.

 

After graduation, along with 4 fellow artists, Christopher started the cooperative ceramics studio and gallery Lure Studios. Though this started as a wonderful idea Christopher found himself struggling to balance his work life as a bartender and his passion for making objects out of clay. Life in the clay studio became a part-time job. Fixing equipment, renovating the gallery space, and dealing with the different egos and attitudes of his studio mates. This environment began to suffocate Christopher’s enthusiasm for creating art. In 2007 this struggle led to the difficult decision to leave the studio to concentrate on paying for his education in the hopes of, in the future, finding another space to create.

 

At this point, 2008, Christopher dove completely into the Restaurant and Bar business. With stints as: General Manager, Bar manager and eventually culminating in a position as the Beverage Director for Bamboo Sushi his career path, from the outside, looked to be on the rise. With a normal schedule of 60-80 hours a week coupled with an unimaginable struggle to pay bills, Christopher was burning out. 

 

The final straw came late one evening after a 9-hour day at the restaurant. Christopher was working on a cocktail list for a new restaurant concept when he looked at his beloved dog Ozzy and thought “I need to find someone to take better care of you.” Seconds after this thought Christopher “woke up” realizing all he was sacrificing for a job he didn’t love. It was time for a change.

 

Soon after this realization Christopher was offered an opportunity for a way out. His good friends, Irene and Hanna Osborn, needed help with a massive move. So large they needed full-time help for up to a year and wanted him to fill the need. Accepting the job would mean relocation to Olympia and no security after the term was up, but it was the opening he was looking for. In 2014 Christopher moved to Olympia, WA.

 

After the contract job was completed in 2015, Christopher was trying to decide if moving back to Portland and returning to the bar business was his only viable option. That’s when he was offer a job working the slab roller 3 days a week at Marion Pollmann Clay Art. Being in a clay studio again sparked a passion to create and an intense need to make this his life once again. 

 

After less than a year the rapport between Christopher and Marion grew into a collaborative artistic relationship and a beautiful friendship. In 2017 Marion offered Christopher a partnership in Marion Pollmann Clay Art and an increased roll designing and producing the artwork. 

 

At the time this arrangement started to get traction and then COVID came along. In 2020 Marion and Christopher had to make the hard decision to pair the business down to just the two of them to try to survive. This hard time and the hard choices it compelled opened Christopher and Marion’s eyes to a new structure for the business and a new appreciation for the support of the Olympia community. 

 

Currently, Christopher has started to explore wearable ceramics with his “Oli’s” line of earrings. Named after his beloved terrier Oliver, the line features a whimsical assortment of: Cats, Snails, Frogs, Bees, Skunks, and many other designs. Christopher has found a love for working in miniature and a new interest in crafting his own findings and setting.  

 

The path Christopher wandered to come to this point has been full of self-discovery, growth and its share of heartache, but nothing has been more impactful than finding a place to make things out of clay and a beautiful home with Marion, Kelly, Teddy and Loku. The joy and the ability to spread this joy though the beautifully crafted artwork they produce has truly fulfilled a need of Christopher’s to bring a smile to every viewer. 

 

So, that is the Christopher “CliffsNotes.” Come by the booth at the Olympia Farmers Market and say hello.