Creating a handmade pottery mug to honour healthcare workers

Thanks and Gratitude in the face of COVID-19

We are deeply grateful for the work of our Chief Public Health Officer and all the healthcare workers she represents across the Island that have helped keep us safe and healthy.

Dark Days of Spring

Last spring we had to layoff our potters and close the studio. The future of our studio was uncertain with a nearly complete collapse of the wholesale side of our business and the prospect of summer spent in lockdown. We understood it was necessary, vital even, that we stay home. Like everyone else, we watched the public health news conferences every day and were refreshing every screen trying keep up with the latest developments. During that time, the reassuring presence of Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, gave us a sense of calm in the face of so much uncertainty.

The Hope of Summer

Thanks to the public health measures of the spring, we were able to have a better summer than many of us thought possible. We were able to bring back some of our potters in the summer and start making pottery again.

Finding a way to say thank you

We know from our own experience that healthcare workers have had to make many adaptations in the face of COVID. They have also put themselves in harm's way every single day and we all benefit from their sacrifices. We wanted to find a way to say thank you and find a way to give back.

Creating the Angel Mug

We started working on the idea a "thank you" piece honouring healthcare workers. Very quickly, Rachel on our team talked about watching Dr. Morrison's news conferences on Facebook and watching the comments fill with expressions of thanks and many calling her an angel. And, there it was. Angels. As it happens, Rachel also had a new mold to make wings. She gave the mug a prominent foot to add stature and grace (like Dr. Morrison has shown all these many months). Elsa was tasked with designing a handle. She played with proportion and shape and landed on beautiful curving handle featuring a thumb rest for comfort.

We are delighted to present the Angel mug to the world today! Proceeds from the sale of every mug will go to the Prince County Hospital Foundation and support high-quality, local health care delivery.

We made a video talking about our the development process of the Angel mug and to say thanks to the healthcare workers that inspire us every day!

Thank you!

Update: Our limited production run of the Angel Mug sold out, we made more, and those sold out too! Thank you to everyone who made this donation to the Prince County Hospital Foundation possible.