This Saturday won’t be a day like any other at Les Faiseurs, a café in Little Italy where pottery is in the spotlight.
Indeed, the entrepreneur Sarah St-Arnaud will celebrate, in the company of her community, the fifth anniversary of her establishment where you can sip a good coffee, enjoy a small dish or shape delicate ceramic pieces with your own hands.
For the occasion, activities will be organized all day, starting at 10 a.m., including friendly competitions. “The idea is to have a pottery and coffee-themed party to mark our five years,” summarizes the entrepreneur.
It was in the summer of 2018 that the café, boutique and workshop opened on boulevard Saint-Laurent just north of rue Beaubien. The concept was bold, but seemed to meet a need, that of democratizing hobby pottery. Today, not only is the business still in operation, but its area has even grown since its beginnings.
In 2021, to comply with the physical distancing policies dictated by the pandemic, Sarah St-Arnaud had agreed with the owner of the building to temporarily occupy the neighboring premises. But if the pandemic ended up ending, the extra space remained. “When the situation returned to normal, we saw that the demand was there to continue to have two premises. So we went from 8 towers in our main workshop to 16 in all, in both spaces. »
Several courses are offered to the Makers, from the initiation to pottery workshop to complete turning and shaping sessions. The place also has a boutique space where the creations of three local artists are presented each season. At the moment, there are pieces by Judith Dubord, ceramic Goye and La Haise.
About five years ago, Émilie Péloquin was looking for a new activity to develop her manual and artistic side. Around the same time, she became aware of the crowdfunding campaign for the opening of a new cafe with an unusual concept where pottery was put forward. It was enough for her to participate in the said campaign and to register for one of the very first sessions that were given there.
Since that time, she has never stopped – or almost. After participating in a few sessions, she ended up becoming a member.
As the pieces are turned and shaped, new friendships have of course been forged in this community, she says. “We try all kinds of things, we also challenge ourselves, to make bigger pieces or try different things. The fact that the workshop is well-established and adjoined by a bright café obviously helps to maintain these links, she explains, since you can stay there for a bite to eat or just to chat about pottery.
And what do you make when you take your first steps into the world of ceramics? “Of course when you start, you do a bit of everything and nothing. We seek our style through our experiences and our trials,” says Émilie Péloquin. But casually, with the passage of time, she begins to have amassed a nice collection. “I also love gardening, so I try to make pieces that will come in handy with my garden pickings, like garlic pots or salad bowls. »
She will be competing on Saturday, along with other members. To blow out not only the five candles of his favorite coffee, but also those of his new passion!
To celebrate the five years of the Makers, this July 22, there will be two friendly filming competitions, between teachers at 11 a.m., then between members and alumni at 2 p.m. “We will have events like: the highest piece you can shoot, the most pieces you can shoot in 10 minutes, or even a shooting competition with your eyes closed,” lists Sarah St-Arnaud, founder of the Makers. These sympathetic clashes in the form of a show will take place outside if the weather is nice.
The workshop will also hold an open house activity, supervised by a teacher, where people will be invited to learn about a pottery wheel. Each ball of clay will be provided at a cost of $5 and new groups will take place every 30 minutes.
The coffee area will not be outdone, as there will be food served as usual, in addition to slices of cake and coffee promotions. A table will also be reserved for the production of a collective work, continues Sarah St-Arnaud. “People will be able to come and paint on ceramic tiles, which we will then fire and use to make a collective mural. »
