Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly May and Johnne Law McMahan.
Hi Molly May and Johnne Law, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Creating together has always been a part of our story. We met in undergrad at The University of South Dakota in drawing class, and working together in the studio quickly became our foundation. Molly moved to Minneapolis for her Masters in Design, and Johnne joined shortly after receiving his BFA in Ceramics. Johnne has had his hands in clay consistently since then; working for local studios, apprenticeship programs, and building kilns and executing kiln maintenance. Molly’s artistic path has led her to the digital product space in User Experience, and her love for design has always been appreciative of the form. NICE NICE came to be when we combined our two loves; functional ceramics, and digital mark making. It’s truly our two halves of the whole that come together cohesively.
We purchased a home in North Minneapolis in 2021, and are renovating our detached garage to be a full working studio. We are so excited to have everything on site, and are so grateful to our friends that lent us space and gave us wings to create.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every creative pursuit is wrought with challenges; it’s the nature of the process. It is much more fun to have a partner in the process and we’ve really greased the wheels of our 1,2 punch approach. We’ve learned a massive amount about scaling products for wholesale, and really are forever indebted to our loyal stockists who continue to show us grace and patience while we learn an entirely new side of creating as a business. And then… there’s building out your own home studio. There’s a new challenge to be faced every weekend, but the goal is in sight of the studio of our dreams, and that really helps the propulsion.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Functionality is always at the forefront when we create. How will this mug be held? Is the lip of the cup thin and smooth? How will the form terminate to allow for a smooth base? The invitation that our products have into people’s homes is not a responsibility we take lightly. The work we create has an intimate functional nature to it; cradled in your hands, or used on regular occasions.
Together we plan and sketch our ideas and forms with intended use in mind. This allows us to focus on meaningful details of use, versus ornamentation, and consistently scale when we make a piece into a standalone line. Johnne’s expertise is vast in pottery production; from processing clay, throwing, firing and finishing. Molly executes her digital prowess in etching the marks on each piece of NICE NICE, and expanding from one piece of pottery to maintaining brand cohesion in a digital space.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Minneapolis has been the only home of NICE NICE. Without our robust creative community and entrepreneurial shop hosts, we wouldn’t exist. It was Erin Duininck’s invitation to our first pop-up at her shop, Golden Rule, when we were still glaze chem testing, that she took a chance on our side project, out of her generous nature of believing in creative work. We were able to scale and create by the generosity of Kerry Brooks, who runs Dock 6 Pottery where Johnne was employed, and would stay after hours and create our line en masse. It’s because of their generosity, and so many more like them in the community, that continue to uphold the appreciation of the craft and focus on local makers.
Pricing:
- Mug – $35
- Tumbler – $38
- Dish – $30
Contact Info:
- Email: niceniceceramics@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.6peaks.com/shopnicenice
- Instagram: @niceniceceramics
