With her bachelor’s degree in literature and a masters in anthropology, Catherine Auriol was having trouble finding work. She'd taken a ceramics course, and when she went to pick up the items she'd made, she decided she had nothing to lose enrolling in a full-time program. The course was full, but just a few days before it began, a phone call let her know she was in. From there, pottery would define her life's path.
She set up shop in downtown Montreal, opening a ceramic workshop which she ran for three years. Then an internship sent her to France, Spain and Morocco to study with skilled potters and discover how things were done in other parts of the world. When she returned she wanted a workshop and boutique in one. So she opened Atelier-boutique de céramique Gaïa on Laurier Street in November of 1999 to bring one-of-a-kind works by local artisans to the world and to champion the cause of handmade ceramics.
