RELATED: This Local Ceramics Artist Brings Form and Function to Her New Bay View Studio
You might want to tune into “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” the next few Thursdays at 10 p.m. Mugs designed and crafted in the Bay View studio of Black female sculptor Lalese Stamps will be unveiled for the first time at 10:30 p.m. – and for sale a half hour later. Each Thursday will be devoted to a new mug.
The “Lolly Lolly Ceramics x The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Collection” features mugs Stamps dreamt up as her version of the “late-night desk mug,” with the Comedy Channel show’s slogan running horizontally up one side. But it’s the handles that are anything but boring: instead of a half circle as with most mugs, Stamps wants the user to clutch the interior of a triangle, thread a few fingers through little shelves, or grip an elevated “X.”
Photos courtesy of “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”
All of these 100 mugs are special, limited editions and, once revealed on the show, can be bought on Lolly Lolly’s website. Last summer she moved into a 2,450-square-foot studio in the Lincoln Warehouse, uprooting from Columbus, Ohio, back to her hometown. The 2008 Rufus King International High School grad grew up on Milwaukee’s North Side.
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This isn’t the first time Stamps released a run of just 100 mugs. In 2019, her #100DayProject — in which she designed and produced a different black matte stoneware mug over 100 consecutive days — was met with huge success and immediately sold out. This was followed up by New York Times coverage of Stamps and her career, focused on “dirt drops,” a new phenomenon where ceramic artists release a limited amount of their designs. These often sell out fast.
“Never in my life did I imagine that I could pave my own way as creative in business through MUGS,” said Lalese Stamps, founder of Lolly Lolly Ceramics. “My ability to reimagine and push the limits of such a simple household object has catapulted me to this unimaginable realm. I am excited to keep growing and sharing my story. My only hope is to inspire other Black youth to believe in themselves, surround themselves with excellent people and stay true to who they are.”
Echoing that sentiment is “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Producer Brittany Radocha says:
“’The Daily Show’ is always looking beyond our headlines, packages and guest interviews for new, creative ways to highlight underrepresented voices. For this partnership, we eyed a classic late-night element — the interview desk mug — as an opportunity to spotlight a really cool and talented creator. We wanted to break the boundaries of what a late-night desk mug might be, and Lalese Stamps’ unique eye brought that vision to life.”
