About Us

Monica Sommerville first came into contact with clay in 1977 during her senior year at Notre Dame Catholic High School, Moylan, PA. While majoring in Political Science at West Chester University, Monica was regularly found in the pottery studio. After moving to Allentown, PA in 1988, she continued to develop as a potter while working in the nonprofit sector and raising two daughters with her husband, Ray. For seven years, Monica received training on the potter’s wheel from two Allentown area potters, Richard Hoffman and William Clark, before setting up her home studio in 1995. After more than 20 years as a landscaper, Ray Sommerville transitioned into working with clay and glazes helping to launch Sommerville Pottery, a collaborative effort between Monica and Ray.

Initially based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Sommerville Pottery relocated in the spring of 2007 to Pulteney, on the west side of Keuka Lake in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York.