with DEBORAH BRANNAN

I’ll never forget my excitement as a child, going with my grandmother to a little French café in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. The adventure began when we started down the alley and entered through a small door, partially hidden with blooming wisteria vines. We went for special occasions, like when school let out for the summer, my birthday or just getting a good report card. Inside the café, artwork hung on plaster walls, music played softly, and the smell of freshly baked croissants filled the air. Lingering with my grandmother in this little alley café was my favorite thing to do. I dreamed of owning a café myself one day. I could picture myself wearing an apron, greeting patrons and serving them tasty treats on china plates. I don’t recall the name of the cafe, but I never forgot how it felt to be there with my grandmother. 

 

As an adult, I’ve always been drawn to the feel of a place, the combination of sights, sounds and smells that come together in an unforgettable way. Traveling for my corporate job in the nineties, I encountered my first paint-your-own-pottery shop in San Francisco, California. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the little storefront, on a busy street, next to a coffeehouse. Inside were unfinished mugs and plates stacked on shelves, toasty smells of pottery firing, and happy customers painting away at little tables. It was the same good energy of the French café from my childhood combined with the creative activity of painting pottery. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! This was what I had been looking for and I knew it was what I would do. So, I quit the corporate job and began my journey into the colorful world of ceramics. 

 

After some research and training, I opened my first studio in a former painter’s studio in the 12 South District of Nashville. I picked the name “Third Coast Clay” as a nod to Nashville (being the virtual “third” coast in the music industry, and because it evoked an imaginary place to escape to and create). We quickly outgrew the space, and I heard about the Factory at Franklin from a customer who celebrated her daughter’s birthday at the Coast. 

 

Calvin Lehew had just purchased the Factory at Franklin and was leasing space to entrepreneurs. As soon as I met him and saw the beauty and potential of the old buildings, something told me that this was the place. I opened the store in 1999, and it’s been my privilege to have called the Factory home ever since. As Oprah says, “Your life is always speaking to you; it speaks in whispers guiding you to your next step.” So, when the most recent owners of the Factory shared their vision for the future and offered me a bigger space in another building, I followed my intuition and signed a lease. Look for us in Building 8 this summer, where we will have a brand-new space for connecting and creating! Learn more about Deborah's studio at thirdcoastclay.com.