About Us:
Not Your Ordinary Wonder Women
Jo and Caroline are two artists who both think people are the most important thing. They have known each other for at least ten years and have gone beyond friendship to family. They have worked together, made art together and are now smashing plates together. Does it get any better than that?!
Jo Grove
Jo Grove wears her undies on the outside, like the time she was being body painted in the front window of The Body Shop on Lambton Quay. She is not afraid of anything and proves it everyday as mother to wonderful and adventurous Arden. She studied art, ceramics and hot glass at Wanganui, Dunedin and Wellington, travelled all over the world and taught at TLC for 7 years.
At age 6, on a school trip to the zoo, all the other kids came back knocking their knees about the lions in the lion’s cage. Jo came back talking about the blue flowers that were dotted around outside the lion’s cage. A fearless artist in the making.
It’s using her hands that gets her focused creatively. She loves the making of something beautiful, and loves helping people choose the perfect piece just for them. “It’s like adding a little magic in people’s lives.”
Caroline
There is never a dull moment around Caroline McGlinchy’s place. People are everything and all she had done and will continue to do is about people. She was an early childhood teacher for ten years, travelled extensively over the globe and is mum to the ingenious and outstanding, seven year old Billy.
She studied art and craft at Whitireia, taught at TLC for ten years and is still teaching now: she is an antenatal educator and teaches children how to explore ideas and to create without fear.
“I have always made things, from a tiny girl, and I will always make presents for people I love. Until this business nothing has grabbed me like this before, and sustained me.”
Caroline finds her creativity in chaos, her house is always active with stuff, food, kids and all her communities coming over, having coffee, and telling their stories in between cutting and grinding china.
Our Business
Talk about our studio!! Hahaha, no seriously. We happily cut grind and polish out of a garage that has a significant lean! It boasts an area of about 450mm, out in back, on a slope, and we love it. It is imbued with both Carolines chaos and Jo’s organising and systemising. Sounds impossible but it works fantastically - think Leaning Tower of Pisa!!
Smash Palace started as a sheltered workshop kind of thing but we prefer the more modern term Social Enterprise! Jo was coming out of post natal depression with a 2 year old, and Caroline needed a new direction and to do something creative. Combine that with a love of people and a bit of therapeutic smashing and a business that connects us all to each other is born.
A friend of ours inherited her grandmother's Mason china dinner set and, unlike many, she decided to use it everyday in celebration of her grandmother. Over time pieces chipped and broke – she started to amass a large collection of beautiful shards too good to throw away. From this grew the idea and then the birth of Smash Palace, turning pre-loved china into fantastic jewellery.
In our opinion crockery is an unconditional unifier. It creates a level playing field, everyone has a story or idea about it, and it can bring cultures and generations together. Not only that but it is incredibly beautiful, can be with you everyday, and pretty much demands a cup of tea and a cake.
We now create a large variety of jewellery pieces: all one-of-a-kind. Check out some of our products here.
For that real personal piece we also do commissions: you supply the plate and we will do the rest.
An dif you'd like to come and say hi, come and find us at one of the events listed in our calendar.