After more than a decade of crafting artisan ceramics for Milwaukee chefs and restaurants through her business, The Plate Collective, local potter Kate Riley is opening her first brick-and-mortar studio this November. Plate Collective Pottery, located inside a shared space with Tasha Rae Jewelry at 3074 S. Delaware St. in Bay View, promises to be more than just a studio—it’s a space designed to foster creativity, collaboration and community.
Riley’s new studio builds on her mission to use pottery as a way to connect with people and provide a calm, welcoming environment for artists of all skill levels. Visitors can attend classes, workshops, private events, or drop in during open-studio hours, with the option to bring their own drinks and snacks.
“You don’t have to come in with a particular skill level,” Riley says. “And because there are a variety of options, you’ll walk away with something that you really like.” Guests can either paint pre-built pottery or try their hand at clay-building sessions by making a reservation on the studio’s website. Groups larger than six can email Riley directly at kateriley06@gmail.com.
In addition to Riley’s pottery, the studio will feature jewelry from Tasha Rae Jewelry. Their collaborative Charm Bar allows guests to mix Riley’s handmade porcelain charms with Tasha’s hand-stamped silver charms to create unique bracelets or necklaces, which are available for purchase to walk-ins.
Riley, a Glenview, Illinois native, has been passionate about pottery since high school. “I took my first class in 1994 because my sister thought it was cool. It turns out I really loved it, so I continued taking classes all four years in high school,” she recalls. After moving to Chicago in 2005, Riley honed her skills as a teaching assistant in a ceramics lab at Harold Washington Community College, working alongside artist Jessica Bader.
Her focus shifted toward functional restaurant pieces after meeting Chef Daniel Jacobs. “I’d been thinking of art over and above function,” Riley says. “But Dan encouraged me to create pieces that would be useful to chefs—sturdy, durable and oven-ready.” By 2010, Riley was fully committed to her craft. After selling her work at art fairs and on Etsy, she began merging her two passions: ceramics and food.
Riley’s first major restaurant project came in 2013, crafting beer mugs for Beer Week at Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub. Since then, she has designed dishes and ceramic beverage-ware for Buckley’s, c.1880, Hinterland, The National Café, Tochi, Wolf Peach, Birch, Amilinda, Story Hill BKC, Goodkind, Mothership, Hawthorne Coffee, Bavette La Boucherie and others. Her pieces have also been featured as an installation on the walls at Odd Duck’s former Bay View restaurant and are used regularly at DanDan and EsterEv. In 2015, Riley and Chef Jacobs launched The Plate Collective, a creative dinner series showcasing collaborative menus on hand-thrown pottery.
Grand Opening Celebration
Plate Collective Pottery invites the public to its grand opening on Saturday, November 22, from 6–8 p.m. Guests can meet Riley and Tasha Rae, learn about the studio, register for 2026 classes and shop for holiday gifts, including handmade ornaments. Music, drinks and light bites will round out the evening.
Whether you’re a seasoned potter or a curious beginner, Plate Collective Pottery offers a chance to get your hands dirty, meet fellow artists and take home something truly special.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
