After living abroad for several years, Kathy Kuck, owner of Blue Water Polish Pottery, came back with a new passion, one she shares with the rest of her community.
While living in Germany with her husband Kevin, Kuck was introduced to handmade Polish pottery. Starting with a single coffee cup, her collection grew until she had a surplus of beautifully crafted pieces. After moving back to Minnesota, she decided to import the art she fell in love with and sell them online.
“The more I bought, the more I loved it,” Kuck says. “It just makes me happy.”
After selling her stock out of a store, Kuck decided to open her own brick-and-mortar shop. However, finding a place in White Bear Lake was essential.
“I’m from White Bear, and I wanted it in our community,” Kuck says. “There’s no place like home.”
Kuck returns to Poland every other year, and also orders her products directly from factories in Poland, such as Manufaktura, Ceramika Artystyczna, Kalich, Vena and Zaklady. When ordering (at least nine months in advance) Kuck selects the shapes and patterns she desires for her pieces.
The shop carries myriad items, from bakewear to home décor to accent pieces. As there are multiple levels of Polish pottery, ranging from traditional to unikat to signature unikat, her pieces are priced according to the technicality needed for them.
The best aspect of her products is their uniqueness. “It’s gorgeous, and it’s durable enough for everyday use, even with kids,” Kuck says. Also, since each factory uses the same color palette, all the pieces can be mixed and matched.
For Kuck, her favorite part of the job is the people. “Talking to the people that stop in, it’s
so fun,” she says.
