For Women's History Month, we are spotlighting the amazing women small-business owners in the neighborhood!

Outi Putkonen owns and runs Mugi Studio, a ceramics studio that teaches pottery classes and offers private events for kids and adults. This small business opened in 1983 on Amsterdam and 109th street, and has been a staple of the community for decades. For years, it has attracted people into the neighborhood both for pottery classes and for its display of new works of art to admire and purchase. Outi became a business partner in 2004, and has been Mugi’s sole owner since January 2015.

Outi Putkonen is a small business wonder woman because “[she uses her] feminine compassion to create a supportive yet relaxed environment that ... students feel comfortable with and find the support of the community within.” She describes how being a woman and a mother make multitasking “second nature,” and that her experience running a small business as a mother has taught her how to be “organized and focused on getting things done in a timely manner and on budget.” Outi is most proud of her success in keeping Mugi Studio open and running for over a decade despite economic turmoil, including during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Outi credits the amazing feedback and support she has received, and is proud of the community she’s built while running her small business.
The Studio currently has five employees, and under Outi’s leadership, Mugi has added a variety of services such as couples classes.

Find Mugi Studio on Instagram and Facebook @mugipotterynyc, or call the studio for information at (212) 866-6202.

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Come out this Saturday from 12-2 to see this new exhibition and to get your picture included to be a part of this awesome project.