Geraghty grew up right by Astoria Park in a house her family has lived in since the 1930s. About a year-and-a-half ago, the artist moved to Sunnyside with her fiancé who is from Jackson Heights. According to Geraghty, she feels like she hit the jackpot growing up here.

“Growing up in Queens is just injected into everything I do. Making the Queens pots felt kind of obvious. I wanted to make something that felt like me,” Geraghty said.

The potter started practicing ceramics in 2018 when she was an undergrad at Barnard College. She did most of her learning in the school’s pottery studio and even used it as an alumnus. However, since the pandemic, Geraghty has been molding clay at Alterworks in Astoria amongst other local ceramicists.

In September of 2020, Geraghty started her Queens Clay Instagram (@queensclay) and launched her Etsy account a few months after. The Astorian’s Etsy page contains her “World’s Borough” collection featuring “The World’s Borough Vase” which has a hand-painted image of the Hell Gate Bridge. Geraghty also created a limited edition “Astoria Heart” cup for Valentine’s Day, made to spread the love of Queens. 

Geraghty plans on expanding her Queens collection in the future, with one of her main goals being to represent all parts of the borough and show a variety of landmarks.

“I want to acknowledge that all of Queens and its many cultures are so great. My love for Queens has really been [integrated] into my work,” Geraghty said.

Not only are her pots perfect for any Queens resident, but they all hold a purpose in one way or another.

“I’m not one who is drawn to creating something just to look at. I want to use it. I want to make something that people can use in a few different ways,” Geraghty said.

Her work does not fall short of a variety of shapes and sizes, all of which prove to be quite useful: Queens Clay has everything from catch-all cups, vases and soap dishes. Geraghty even uses some of her vase-shaped pieces for pencil cups, ideal for someone who works from home.

Currently, Geraghty sells the majority of her clay creations on her Etsy, but you can also find her at local pop-ups which are announced on her Instagram. She also has soap dishes available at a flower shop in Sunnyside called Ora La Casa De las Flores.