Archival Designs

Archival Designs is a husband-and-wife handmade ceramics studio in Midtown Kansas City, run by Jake and Julie Bond since 2001. Operating as a working clay studio open to the public at 805 E. 31st Street, the Bonds make high-fire, functional pottery and custom hand-carved tile — from mugs and bowls to full-kitchen tile installations — using original colors, patterns, and reduction glazes.¹²

Description

Archival Designs is a custom tile and pottery studio in Midtown KCMO making high-fire, functional ceramics. Owners Jake and Julie Bond run it as a working clay studio that is open to the public, inviting visitors to view the process as well as the finished work.¹ Their range spans whimsical mugs, salad and notched bowls, dinnerware, and hand-carved tile for entire kitchens.²

The studio uses original colors and patterns and high-fire reduction glazes, which produce colors and brilliance unattainable at lower temperatures or with commercial glazes. Because everything is handmade, no two pieces are identical, and the ware is microwave-, dishwasher-, and oven-safe.² The studio participates in First Fridays each month, and a large share of its pottery business historically moves through regional art fairs.²

Ownership and history

Jake and Julie Bond are a married couple who built the business around bringing handmade ceramic designs into customers’ daily lives.¹² Julie earned her BFA in ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute; Jake earned an art degree from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska.¹ The two met while working at a custom tile studio in Omaha, Nebraska, and after roughly three years in custom tile they opened Archival Designs in Kansas City in 2001, at the 805 E. 31st Street location they have occupied since.¹²

The KCAI connection roots the studio firmly in Kansas City’s ceramics community, and the Bonds have been a recurring presence on the local craft-fair and First Friday circuit for over two decades.²³

Links

• Official site: http://www.archivaldesignskc.com[^1]
• Shop: http://www.archivaldesignskc.com/shop
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archivaldesignskc/[^5]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Archival-Designs-100063743190790/[^6]
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/archival-designs-kansas-city[^3]

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

1. http://www.archivaldesignskc.com/about — Official “About” page. asserts: business name “Archival Designs”; owners Jake and Julie Bond (husband-and-wife); founded 2001; address 805 E 31st Street, KCMO 64109; products handmade tile and pottery; Julie BFA in ceramics from Kansas City Art Institute, Jake art degree from Doane College; met at a tile studio in Omaha, NE; working clay studio open to the public. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. https://do816.com/events/2017/12/1/jake-julie-bond-ceramics — Do816 event profile. asserts: opened in 2001 after three years in custom tile in Omaha; studio at 805 E. 31st St., KCMO; products from mugs to salad bowls to hand-carved kitchen tile; high-fire reduction glazes; microwave/dishwasher/oven-safe; ~70% of pottery business via art fairs; participates in First Fridays monthly. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

3. https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2023-12-23/explore-kansas-citys-ceramics-scene-with-these-pottery-classes-and-artisan-shops — KCUR feature on KC ceramics scene. asserts: Archival Designs / the Bonds as part of Kansas City’s working ceramics community. ↩