Mary Classen is a native of Sacramento. She has been a full time potter for 38 years. Classen has a home studio and showroom in Carmichael. She has been a member of the artery since 1975 and is a founding member of the Sacramento Potters Group (1976).

Collectors of her functional ware are attracted by her designs that incorporate floral and fruit motifs that reflect her own love of gardening and flower arranging. Mary`s work is cone 5 electric fired although she does a limited amount of cone 10 gas for her own enjoyment.