(Photo from AlleyKat Ceramics)
- Long before AlleyKat Ceramics opened its doors, Mary Martin was simply curious.
Have you ever found yourself in a back alley halfway across the world…surrounded by cats?
Mary Martin has.
Between Singapore street corners and Mississippi clay, that moment stuck. It followed her home to the Gulf Coast, where AlleyKat Ceramics in Gulfport is about discovery, not just making.
Long before AlleyKat Ceramics opened its doors, Mary was simply curious. Not formally trained. Not even convinced she could do it.
“I have never been an artist,” she said, remembering the first time she stepped into a ceramics studio in Lake Charles, Louisiana. “I said, ‘Oh no, I could never do that.’”
The studio owner didn’t agree.
“She said, ‘Sure you can—just come back.’”
So she did.
“And I was like a sponge after that. I wanted to know everything… I wanted to know it a month ago so I could be better today.”
That kind of curiosity has a way of shaping a life.
Mary studied under master ceramicists, learning both technique and how to make intimidating skills approachable. She carried that with her through decades and across states before settling on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
But after settling in, everything shifted.
After more than 30 years working for Chevron at various overseas locations, her husband, John, retired—and instead of slowing down, they started something new. “He said, ‘How about a ceramic studio?’” Mary recalled. “And I said, ‘Oh my gosh, don’t ask me twice… I’m ready to go.”
They found two buildings in Gulfport and built the studio as they learned.
And AlleyKat Ceramics came to life.
As the studio took shape, its name found roots back in Singapore—an alley, cats darting out of trash cans, a moment that stuck. Later, John added his own take, calling Mary a “sassy cat,” and just like that, the pottery studio had its name, SassyKat’s Pottery, and its personality.
More than a decade later, that personality still fills every inch of the space.
Because AlleyKats isn’t just a studio—it’s layered.
There’s the main space, where shelves are lined with ceramics ready to be painted—pieces you can walk in, pick up, and make your own. There’s the pottery side, where students learn handbuilding, understanding that pottery is a process, not a one-time project.
Beyond the main area, another space surprises visitors—
Yes, an entire room!
Filled year-round with trees, snowmen, and holiday pieces waiting to be brought to life.
“We have a Christmas room with nothing but Christmas in it,” Mary said.
It’s the kind of detail that tells you everything you need to know.
Rather than doing the bare minimum, this place embraces every detail fully.
On walk-in days, people come and go—some experienced, some completely new to ceramics, Mary said.
Either way, they sit down.
And Mary meets them there.
“I want them to know that they’re always welcome here,” she said. “It’s a fun place to be. A fun place to socialize.”
Here, the welcome is foundational. There’s no club to join. No clique to break into. If classes fill up, they open another. If you’ve never picked up a brush, they’ll show you how.
Ultimately, it’s as much about people as it is about ceramics and pottery.
Behind the scenes, John pours molds for local Senior Centers as well as for individual customers keeps shelves stocked and welcomes customers.
“I wouldn’t be able to have this without him,” Mary said. “He’s my right arm in here.”
Together, they’ve built something that feels both busy and calm at the same time.
And people notice.
“The three compliments that we get most,” Mary said, “are that… y’all are so nice… your store is always so clean… and you always play such good music.” (Expect a steady rotation of 60s, 70s, and 80s—nothing rushed, nothing out of place.)
There’s a rhythm—the hum of conversation, the focus of painting, and steady behind-the-counter work. It’s not curated—it’s real-life art and community in action.
That’s likely a key reason this place resonates.
Because AlleyKats isn’t trying to be anything other than what it is—a place where people can come in, sit down, and create something with their hands.
No pressure. No expectations. Just the simple act of starting.
And even now, as Mary Martin celebrates her 80th birthday this week, she’s still right there in the middle of it—teaching, guiding, encouraging, doing the very thing someone once told her she could.
Proving, one piece at a time, that it’s never too late to learn something new—or to build something that brings people together long after you do.
