Meet the Founder

Denise Vanderkooi

Founder & Curator of the Space

After more than 20 years in healthcare, clay became a counterbalance — quietly challenging, grounding, and deeply satisfying. It offered a slower pace and room to explore: to experiment, follow curiosity, and let ideas take shape through the material. These experiences inspired the vision for Cone 6 YYC Pottery Studio.

Cone 6 YYC is being thoughtfully planned as an inclusive studio, guided by the process of making and a deep respect for the material, the maker, and the rhythms of the work.

The studio is informed by personal experience in small business ownership, years of hands-on beekeeping, and a career as a paramedic — bringing calm, care, and intention to how the space is held and supported.

Cone 6 YYC is a place to arrive, settle in, and make alongside others — a small, welcoming studio where people can discover, create, and connect through clay..

A woman with shoulder-length wavy red hair, wearing a dark green shirt, standing against a plain gray background.