From April to October, Sunday mornings on Boise State’s campus buzz with customers filling the streets of the Albertsons Stadium parking lot and local vendors stationed on every corner.
Found nearest to the entrance, some customers find themselves drawn to a particular booth, Julia Fay Clay. Under a white tent, tables are decorated with dozens of eclectic pieces, their earthy tones and textures glittering with handmade charm.
To the artist, the pieces are more than sculpted clay. Each groove, nook and cranny holds a story. Born in Boise, life has been anything but predictable for 21-year-old third-year student Julia Fay Newman. Newman wasn’t always drawn to the art scene, she found herself stuck in the hectic routine of her early academics, but her senior year of high school would tell a different story.
It was another first period for 17-year-old Newman. She enrolled herself into a class she always felt interested in, but was unsure if it’d have a lasting impact: Pottery 101.
“The minute my hands touched the clay, I couldn’t put it down,” Newman said, her eyes brightening with nostalgia. “I just immediately knew it was my thing. I couldn’t stop learning more. It was almost infectious.”
As the year went on, Newman found herself spending as much time as she possibly could, honing her craft outside of the classroom.
“The class started at 8 a.m. in the morning, and I’d come in at 7:30,” Newman said. “I’d come in even [earlier] if the woman would let me. I’d be there any chance I got, I couldn’t put the clay down.”
Lunch, free period or after-school, nothing could stop Newman from molding clay into art. Beginning with hand-building, a craft accomplished by only using your hands to form wet clay into art, Newman upgraded to the spinning wheel most are familiar with.
By the end of her senior year, Newman felt confident in her pottery-making abilities. In celebration of the closing year, the school hosted an art exhibition to highlight graduating talent. Newman decided to enter her best piece: a woman’s figure. Carefully shaped with curves, stretch marks and dimples, it was a showstopper to the judge’s panel.
“I had gotten an email from one of the judges, and she told me how much she [adored] the piece,” Newman said. “She immediately wanted to buy it, and didn’t care about the price. I sold it to her $100 — it was such an amazing feeling.”
This was just the beginning for Newman, and a one-time purchase quickly sparked a pattern.
“After that, people kept asking me to make different pieces constantly,” Newman said. “I really had to focus on pricing and building a clientele.”
Sourcing and developing a clientele came naturally to Newman, beginning with her social circle and word-of-mouth. Positive reviews began to pile in by the week.
“Julia has added so much joy to not only my life, but also to my cupboards,” Hannah Amick, a friend of Newman, said. “Her pieces are made with [extreme] precision, you can tell how passionate she is just by looking at her pieces.”
Selling and sourcing within her neighborhood was just the beginning for Newman. While brainstorming how to further her craft, she decided to reach out to the Boise Flea Market, where she began selling this summer.
“It was so convenient and it’s local to the campus,” Newman said of the Boise Flea. “It was also just amazing to see people look at my work and admire it. It was such a beautiful experience.”
So, what fuels her inspiration?
“I’m of Jewish heritage, and the most important word to me is ‘hutzpah’,” Newman said before pointing to an arm tattoo she has dedicated to the word. “It’s a Yiddish word and it basically means to get it done. Get it done, have guts and vigor.”
Hutzpah — the golden word she’s reflected through her work throughout the years. Newman recommends the idiom to everyone.
“Rejection is redirection,” Newman said. “Hutzpah really just symbolizes that. No matter the redirection, have that passion.”
Businesses like Newman’s inspire Boiseans to shop small and support their local community as much as possible.
“Supporting small businesses and [especially] student businesses is great,” communications major Maci McKinley added while shopping at the Boise Flea. “You’re getting such unique pieces, and it gives people an opportunity to show their individuality.”
