The Play-Doh Factory was Mary Cay's favorite Christmas present, broken by overuse. The following year a gift of a drawing/painting instruction kit was the genesis for the push-pull relationship Cay has with ceramics and painting. Cay's first memory of success in school was when her shiny, red pinch pot, complete with knob and lid, was chosen to be exhibited in the Yellowstone County Fair, an event that set a career in motion.  Cay earned a BFA in Fine Art with an emphasis in Ceramics and received the Colorado Scholar's Award twice.  She has attended several workshops to further her education in ceramic glaze technology, including taking Masters Degree classes at SUNY Alfred and studying with Robin Hopper at the Pearson International School in Canada.  In 2002, Ceramics Monthly Magazine selected Cay as an "Emerging Artist" and published her work again in 2006 in an article about her development of Kiln Jewels.  The book, 500 Bowls, Contemporary Exploration of a Timeless Design, featured two of Cay's bowls, one sculptural and one functional.  American Artist magazine chose a collage she created in 1979 depicting Van Gogh as a businessman for a competition titled "The Artist in Business."  Cay's work is included in private and corporate collections.