Tana McLain: Grand Junction Potter + 8th Generation Coloradan

Our Local Love is all about Tana McLain. Tana is a potter in Grand Junction and is an eighth-generation Coloradan who puts her history into her work.

After we saw Tana McLain's work on Instagram, we had to ask her to be a part of Local Love. Tana rolled into the studio with her latest collection of pottery, which you can see below and on our Instagram. She describes her style as rustic wabi-sabi and plans to make historical pottery collections inspired by her ancestry.

Tana McLain was born and raised in Grand Junction has deep roots here. She says she's got pioneer, bootlegger, and Native American heritage. Tana loves the Grand Valley and feels like she definitely belongs in the desert and her spirit animal is a horned lizard

She went to Fruita Monument High and Colorado Mesa University and said she got into pottery in high school. Tana has two kids who are 8 and 10 years old that go to Dos Rios Elementary School here in Grand Junction.

Tana's kids love to help her with her pottery and make some with their friends. Her kids like to learn new things and like to make their own action figures and 'smiley face people' which Tana says are super cute.

Tana McLain has been practicing pottery for 15 years and feels like she has a style now and is working on starting a website for her work. You can find Tana's pottery in person in downtown Grand Junction at the Working Artist Gallery and Uncanny Valley Art Gallery.

We love doing Local Love every Thursday and getting to meet cool people in the Grand Valley, like Tana McLain.