Tony and Renée
Tony grew up in Lindenhurst, Illinois, a small town a few miles south of the Wisconsin border. His mother claims that his current interest in clay stems from a toy potter’s wheel he received as a child. His grandmother always thought that he would be a doctor. Tony has no memory of the early wheel and did his undergraduate work in geography at Augustana College. Both his mother and grandmother claim that they still love him.
Renée has always enjoyed organizing things and being the boss. She grew up in Lincolnshire, Illinois and did her undergraduate work at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. After graduating with a degree in speech communication and public relations she began to consider a career in education.
Tony and Renée met in graduate school while studying for degrees in teaching. Renée was immediately attracted to his chiseled features, gentle character and sense of humor. He liked her strength, bold honesty and hand-knit sweater. Tony thought that Renée was way out of his league but she encouraged the relationship. They were married a few months later in an intimate ceremony on Washington Island, in Door County, Wisconsin.
In 1993, they began teaching elementary school in Skokie, Illinois. While walking in their Evanston neighborhood they inquired about classes at a local pottery studio. They both signed up and after the first session, Tony was hooked. As his work progressed he began teaching beginning wheel throwing classes and selling his work in local art fairs.
Years later they were cautioned by their clay supplier, “As much fun as this is and as tempting as it might be, NEVER quit your day jobs.” With this advice in their pockets they did the only thing that made sense to them-they left their tenured teaching jobs and moved to Door County, Wisconsin to open TR Pottery.
It is a beautiful partnership that plays to each of their strengths. For the most part Tony creates the pottery and Renée, because she likes to be the boss, does everything else.
Read more about us in a Peninsula Pulse article.