Pottery is a generational calling at Queenston Pottery

What started as a hobby for both Eva and her late husband, Frank Mlcak, grew into a business that has spanned 46 years and has grown from a small pottery shed to several large potters’ rooms and retail spaces meandering down the escarpment from atop their York Road home.

Now, the next generation is assuming responsibility of the family enterprise.

Queenston Pottery Studio is a regular destination for locals needing beautifully handcrafted gifts for family members, or tourists picking up a little something to remind them of their visit to the area.

Eva and Frank moved to Canada from the Czech Republic in 1970, landing in Vancouver for a short time before visiting friends in the Niagara region. “We decided that this is where we want to stay,” said Eva in an interview with The Local from her newly renovated shop and home. Her son Risa (Rick) started Kindergarten “with absolutely no way to communicate with anybody,” she said.

Now he and  his wife Lisa have moved from Boston to the family home to bring the pottery business to another level.

Eva, formerly a draftswoman in an architectural firm, and Frank, an engineer, started pottery as a hobby, with Frank building all of the tools needed to bring clay from a mound on a potter’s wheel to the finished and glazed product.

They were making pottery in a “very limited space” and decided to give retail a try. Chateau des Charmes was the first winery to approach them about making pottery for an anniversary celebration, followed swiftly by other wineries and companies.

“Slowly we decided to increase the production and, because we were outgrowing the space, we got permits from the town and the escarpment commission to build a bigger pottery shop,” said Eva.

Eventually they tried to create pottery solely for wholesale “but that lasted only about four years, because we didn't like that pace of work.”

“We always felt this is not a job, this is a lifestyle,” said Eva.

After Frank passed away seven years ago, Eva made the hard decision to continue on her own, “and then came COVID and all of a sudden we slowed down. I told my son that it is probably time for me to close the business and find a condo.”

“Risa said, ‘no, we are going to build the business up. We are going to fix the house, and we are going to work with you,’” said Eva.

Renovations to the retail space have been completed, and Eva, Risa and Lisa now offer a curated set of complementary items, including charcuterie boards, Turkish dish towels and napkins, and wooden ceramic centrepieces.

They also offer a pottery studio tour like “no other,” said Risa. The hour-long demonstration showcases the intricate processes of their jiggering machine, trimming, dipping, brushwork, as well as a history of the craft.

“It's great to be back,” in town, said Risa. “I never thought we would retire in Boston, and you know, I grew up here, so it's not completely new. It's very picturesque. The people are very friendly and nice, we hike, we mountain bike,” and now, there is the family business to invest in.

Check them out at www.queenstonpottery.com.