Humans of San Marcos: Jonathan Schaefer

By Sarah Bey
Blog Content Contributor

Jonathan Schaefer is the manager and art instructor at San Marcos’ local art studio, Cafe Monet. Schaefer is a 26-year-old Texas State alumnus with a degree in ceramics and painting. The studio is a place where customers can paint their own pottery and the New Braunfels-native discussed how pottery has molded him.

Schaefer had mentioned his car broke down the day before in Austin. Naturally, I asked what happened.

Schaefer: It was an 01’ Volvo S40 that I love dearly. The radiator sprung a leak and it started overheating. Then, the engine just started making all of these bad noises and it stopped.

B: Does it have a name or anything?

S: No; I wish it did. I never named it though. Maybe that’s why it wanted to die because it didn’t have a name.

B: So how long have you been in charge of Cafe Monet?

S: Since last January (2015.) I have a degree in ceramics and painting, so it was a logical choice to come here and do that. I just applied and they gave me a call. Next thing you know, I’m here.

B: What do you like the most about ceramics and painting?

S: The open-endedness, that it literally can be anything or nothing. It’s interesting seeing all of these people come in with like these preconceived notions of how something should look when in reality, it doesn’t matter whatsoever.

B: Have you had any funny experiences here (at Cafe Monet?)

S: Oh, tons! When somebody drops a piece when they’re looking at it, they get really embarrassed. We have a little policy that if they break one, it’s okay. But, if they break the second one, then they have to pay for it. So, I like messing with people when they drop it and I’m like, “Oh no. Alright, whip out your wallet. You just bought that one.” And it’s just fun, you know, helping people out and kind of witnessing their own individual process. That in itself is always funny because there’s hundreds of way to paint anything. Some people get very meticulous and they spend a lot of time and some people just try to get it done as fast as humanly possible.

B: (I noticed he had a tattoo on his right forearm.) What it related to?

S: They’re ceramics tools that you use to throw pots on the wheel with.

B: So how long have you been into ceramics? Did you get started before college?

S: No, kind of during college. It just sort of happened. I have primarily a degree in painting and I had to take 3D arts classes and one of those was ceramics. I kind of just got hooked, so I took a bunch of them and learned enough to be able to teach people.

B: (Schaefer was wearing a Cowboys football shirt.) Have you always been a fan?

S: Yeah–usually. You’re kind of born into. You can’t really escape it.