Mary Baker, owner of M&W Ceramics in downtown Garland, took her first ceramics class in 1977 and has been hooked ever since. In 1995, she met Juanita Winterbauer, the former owner of M&W Ceramics and found not only a friend and mentor, but also someone she would later refer to as her “second mom.” Baker loved spending time with her and learning about the business.
Mary Baker
“She was a kind and wonderful lady,” Baker said. “Perfect strangers would walk in and would just sit down and tell her their life story and talk about their pain. It was phenomenal the effect she had on people.”
Winterbauer was the ‘W’ in M&W and Tommi Mitchell was the M. Even though the two women started the business together, Mitchell did not remain involved long-term.
When Winterbauer died in 2011, at the age of 90, her family didn’t want to close the shop. Baker, who was retired by this time, started running the shop for the family and last year made it official by buying the business. She chose not to change the name.
“I feel very honored that I was able to take this on and I keep the name to honor her,” Baker said. “I had thought about changing the name but I couldn’t because it is her legacy.”
M & W Ceramics was first located at 111 North Ninth Street but Baker recently moved down the sidewalk to a larger shop at 119 North Ninth Street. She loves the new location.
“I remodeled and everything is set up just the way I want it,” Baker said.
M&W is a traditional ceramics shop. Baker sells greenware, bisque pieces, paints and finished pieces and she also does custom work. She pours the molds and has an employee who “cleans” greenware, which is the process of smoothing the seams caused from pouring, so that the piece can be painted. She also has kilns and many customers bring pieces to her to be fired.
Even though Baker doesn’t teach classes, she is always happy to visit with customers and give instruction and advice after she closes for the day on Saturdays.
Baker said that ceramics is a great way to relax. She has customers of all ages, but she shared that numerous seniors especially love creating ceramic pieces and that several nearby senior centers offer classes.
“If you want to escape this is the way to do it because it takes all your attention and concentration,” she said.
Baker is glad to be in downtown Garland.
“I’m glad to see Garland revitalizing the downtown area,” she said. “I have always wished that our downtown area would be like what Granbury is.”
She and her husband enjoy the restaurants in downtown Garland.
“We love to eat at Main Street Café,” she said. “And I’m glad that Paw Paw’s is right here by me now.”
M&W Ceramics is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturdays.