Business Profile
Diane Biggness
Title and firm: Owner, Sir Ram Ceramics.
Services: Sir Ram provides a full ceramic program, ranging from selling supplies and project finishers to holding classes in technique.
Biographical information: Diane Biggness was born in Seattle. Her husband, Walt, served in the U.S. Coast Guard and visited Alaska during a tour of duty. He fell in love with Juneau and in 1981 he and Biggness took his last tour of duty in the capital city. Upon arriving, they ``forgot to go home,'' Biggness joked.
Today, Walt is the building engineer for Fred Meyer and Biggness runs Sir Ram. She purchased the shop eight years ago; since then, it has expanded twice.
Family: Biggness and her husband have two adult children, Dori and Tracy, and eight grandchildren.
Latest project: Biggness, who just joined the Juneau Artist's Gallery, will travel in July to an annual ceramics seminar in Reno, Nev.
Notable: Any would-be artists are welcome at Sir Ram; current patrons range from age 3 to 80 and are in all states of health. Biggness prides herself on her wide selection of molds -- the store has more than 3,000, ranging from wizards and dragons to ready-to-paint tiles.
Quotable: ``It's a really wonderful, friendly shop. We play relaxing music; we even have people who just drop in to have lunch with us. It's like a family atmosphere.''
Employees: Sir Ram employs two women who help pour the clay and assist in the shop.
Contact information: Call 789-1733; Sir Ram is located in the Airport Mall.