Beekman Boys

So here’s something new. I’m making fermentation jars for the Beekman Boys. Who are the Beekman Boys? Well, they run a farm and store in nearby Sharron Springs, NY, among many other things, and have become somewhat of celebrities after their life on their goat farm was made into a reality television show called “The Fabulous Beekman Boys”.  They also participated in another well-know reality-TV show, “The Amazing Race”…which they WON! but I don’t even own a television, so didn’t ever hear about that until this summer. Anyway, they have an extensive online store which sells everything from their furniture line, home decor, gardening supplies…and of course, their specialty goat milk soap and skin care products. Think of their website as akin to Martha Stewart, yet I say that with a little bit of a shudder, because I think the Beekman Boys have much better taste! This is their website.

In grad school, I had been thinking of myself as an artist, and I perceived that the options for getting my work out there included applying for national shows and courting galleries for representation, maybe throw in a pottery tour and call that good enough. In doing this work for the Beekman Boys, I have been re-defining myself as a designer. As someone who makes functional ceramics, I think about the home where my objects will live in, what kind of space is that? How do people use my work? What activities do they invite and foster? These questions become even more personal to me over the past few years as my husband and I have been slowly building our own house ourselves. Needless to say, I’m excited about this new development and I’m looking forward to more of this kind of work. Check out their listing of my fermentation jar. I’m excited about the photos and the text.