As I walked up the laneway of Lee Anne Cohen’s home outside of Creemore, I was greeted with a friendly wave from a man on a treadmill. He hopped off and, only slightly out of breath, pointed me in the direction of a short, shoveled path leading along the banks of the Mad River. I followed it, and, after a few short steps, could hear the sound of what I soon discovered was a spinning pottery wheel.
Cohen’s new business venture, Mad About Pots, operates out of the small backyard studio that she and her partner, Pierre Marcoux (the man on the treadmill), fashioned themselves. In addition to creating works of her own (which she hopes will earn her a spot on the Purple Hills Studio Tour next fall), Cohen also offers lessons. Classes are full now, but more are to be offered after maple syrup season, when Cohen and Marcoux will be busy harvesting sap from the 250 taps they have on a property they own near Singhampton (they call it their “Mad About Maple” sugar bush, as it’s also on the banks of the Mad River).
“I’ve been a potter for 30 years,” says Cohen, holding a self-fashioned maple syrup jug. “It waited for me, and now I’ve come back to it.”
Even if you have not met Cohen, you have likely seen her running in and around Creemore in all types of weather. She is quite accomplished as a runner: last year she was ranked 3rd in her age category for long-distance running in Ontario. This year, she has qualified for the Boston Marathon, and will be participating in the Ironman competition – which starts with a 4km swim and is followed by 180km of cycling and (in case that wasn’t enough) a full 42km marathon – in Mont Tremblant.
Since 2009, Cohen and Marcoux have been co-race directors for the Creemore Vertical Challenge. The race – the clay medals for which are made by Cohen in her studio – holds a bronze certification from the International Association of Ultra-runners, allowing participants to earn points toward international competitions, and also raises money in support of both St. John’s Ambulance and the Association of Canadian Ultra-runners.
Recently, Cohen retired from a 28-year teaching career. In that time, she noticed that there are few opportunities for young people who enjoy running to compete. To remedy the problem, she will be coordinating a race at this year’s Copper Kettle Festival, called the Copper Kettle Dash. The race will include a 5 km and 10 km option and will be sponsored by Molson. A percentage of the money raised by the race will be donated to charity. Starting the first weekend after Easter, Cohen will be helping students from Grade 7 through Grade 12 to train for the race, conducting a running clinic once a week and teaching proper technique.
Back in the studio, Katie Dawson of Cut and Dried Flower Farm is at the wheel, her hands covered in clay as she shapes a spinning bowl.
“I don’t mind getting my hands dirty,” she says, noting that she spends a good deal of her time working with soil. “It’s relaxing, and a good way to get out of the house and do something for yourself.”
Chrissy Sloski, the other student for the evening, agrees.
“I was dying for lessons,” she says. “It’s great that something is available locally now.”
If you are interested in signing up for lessons at Mad About Pots, Cohen can be reached 705-466-3253.