Scenes from our July Farm Dinner at Turnbull Creek Farm
Our July Farm Dinner set amidst the zinnias and tomato vines.
creator
Potter Rachel Vandivort and Her Tumbler Project
POTTER RACHEL VANDIVORT HAD AN IDEA TO PAY OFF HER SCHOOL LOANS AND HELP FUTURE STUDENTS
How many papers could you write in a year? How many pies could you bake? How many sweaters could you knit? For potter and owner of RVPottery, Rachel Vandivort, it’s 200-400 tumblers a day, leading to a grand total of 10,000 in a year. “My mom will be calling me at nine o’clock when she’s going to sleep and saying ‘Rachel, go eat dinner’ … ‘your project can wait’.”
Rachel began as an Art History major at Belmont University, but after studying abroad in Greece, where she saw gorgeous pottery around every turn, she found her calling. One ceramics class later, Rachel began her own business while still in school. Fast-forward and RVPottery is now a full-time gig. Currently, she makes dinnerware for a variety of restaurants across the country, as well as sells her work in shops and online.
Shortly after graduation, the reality of her student loans set in, and she began to worry about the future of her business. It was then that she decided enough was enough, and chose to take matters into her own hands…literally. Her goal: create 10,000 tumblers in one year, sell them all, pay off her student loans, and give back to future students.
With each tumbler sold, a portion of the proceeds will go into a scholarship fund for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs. “It’s not a challenge that anyone gave me, it’s a personal challenge. I was always being asked what my ‘fall back’ was and getting strange looks when I told someone I was an art major, so if I can help make someone’s dream a little more of a reality, I want to do that.” While her plans for the tumbler project are aimed at her own short-term goal, she hopes the scholarship fund will have an impact for years to come.
As for future plans for RVPottery, Rachel plans on turning her focus towards larger pieces and creating rustic dinnerware and décor for the modern home. While she isn’t letting her student loans slow down her success, she looks forward to growing and taking bigger risks without fear looming in the back of her mind. But for now, it’s one tumbler at a time.
Find Rachel at RVpottery.com and follow her on Instagram @rvpottery
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