When neo‑pop artist Julia McLaurin needed more room for her larger‑than‑life ceramic sculptures (and their equally large sense of humor), she traded her snug 600‑square‑foot stall at Sawyer Yards for a warehouse in her own backyard. “I live 1.9 miles away,” Julia laughs. “Now I can pop in, make a clay cupcake, go home for dinner, and pop back to finish a life‑size emoji before bedtime.” Since November 2024 her JuliArt Clay Studio has been quietly transforming an industrial row of buildings at 8700 Long Point Rd., Warehouse #409 into one of Spring Branch’s brightest new art hubs—electric kilns and all.
What Exactly Is Pop Art, Anyway?
Pop art celebrates the everyday by turning soup cans, snack cakes and emojis into neon‑bright icons with tongue‑in‑cheek humor. Julia channels the 1960s spirit of Andy Warhol and the “new‑pop” exuberance of today’s meme culture, producing ceramic cupcakes the size of your head and Photoshop collages that drop Renaissance nobles into modern mischief. One glance at her digital collage Break Time Mona—where the world‑famous muse lounges with cheese‑balls, a Slim Jim and two non‑plussed tigers beneath Mount Rushmore—tells you everything about Julia’s devotion to playful cultural mash‑ups.
Her signature emoji series landed an eighty‑eight‑tile installation at Houston Hobby Airport and a one‑hundred‑emoji wall in a private Singapore collection, proof that Spring Branch now claims a globally collected artist in its midst.
Step Inside the JuliArt Experience
Walk through the studio doors and you’ll find clay‑spattered tables, shelves of half‑glazed Pop‑Tarts and the comforting hum of vented electric kilns. Julia’s workshops fall into two playful tracks. First, there’s clay hand‑building, where guests sculpt raw clay and return after firing to glaze their creations—perfect for date nights that end with something sturdier than a souvenir photo.
The second track is pop‑ceramics painting, featuring pre‑made blanks such as cupcake piggy banks, Pop‑Tart trinket boxes and—every December—ceramic Little Debbie Christmas‑tree cakes. Private events seat up to forty guests and can be fully catered or delightfully potluck. “The goal is joy,” Julia says. “Life gets serious—so why not paint a Pop‑Tart pink and call it a day?”
Why Spring Branch Should Brag
Julia is proof that world‑class talent can bloom in warehouse bays. By relocating her studio here, she has turned Spring Branch into a magnet for visiting artists—monthly guest instructors roll in from Austin and beyond—while giving residents an arts destination that doesn’t require a downtown commute. The studio generates creative jobs, boosts foot traffic for nearby eateries (ask Christine Ha and John Suh of The Blind Goat, who welcomed Julia with burgers and tots), and adds a splash of neon‑bright pride to the district’s “Heart of Houston” motto.
How You Can Get In on the Fun
Book a hand‑building class, a pop‑ceramics painting session or a private party directly at juliartclay.com. Follow @juliart.clay.studio on Instagram or TikTok for workshop announcements and the occasional dance‑friendly kiln cameo. Commission a custom piece—perhaps a six‑foot Pop‑Tart for your lobby—by emailing [email protected]. And if you simply want to spread the word, tell your art‑curious friends across Houston (and the country) that the city’s newest splash of color is tucked behind the storefronts at 8700 Long Point Road Suite #409 in Spring Branch District.
Connect & Create
Classes, events and studio times live at juliartclay.com, while Julia’s fine‑art portfolio resides at juliamclaurinart.com. In person, the studio sits behind the main storefronts at 8700 Long Point Road Suite # 409. Drive down Ojeman Road (east side of the storefronts), and look for the third driveway on the left near the wood fence. Pro Tip: Use 1829 Ojeman Road in your GPS or this handy-dandy Apple Maps Pin to locate them. Listen for laughter, the aroma of kiln‑baked clay and you know you have found the right place! Prepare to leave with something bright, whimsical and unmistakably Spring Branch.
