Our Mission

We believe that art is for everyone. That it is power, medicine, activism, self-care, hope, connection, joy, empathy, subversion, liberation, restoration, humanity, freedom, community, change. And, everyone should have access to that. We need to remove the gatekeepers of access and make {lots of} room in the conversation for people who usually find themselves silenced, marginalized, and ignored.

We want to work towards making sure that every person that walks into our studio feels wanted, welcome, supported, valued, loved, encouraged, seen. For your voice to be highlighted, honored, raised, respected, amplified, listened to, and acted on. For you to come as you are, without needing to hide, code switch or dim yourself in any way. We strive to be a safe(r) space for you to come, to create, to be seen and to be loved.

We’re a work in progress. But, we promise to keep working.

Our beliefs & values

  • We believe that art is for everyone, and there is space for everyone at our studio.

  • We believe that you are an artist. That you can do it. That you are a maker. That you are a musician. We will not give up on you. Our happiest moment is when you realize that you are an artist. We live for that.

  • We believe that kindness and inclusivity should be the cornerstones of our studio.

  • We believe that everyone deserves to know what the connection and support of community feels like. There is a spot for all folx at the table.

  • We believe that everyone is capable, that everyone is creative, and that everyone needs an outlet. We believe part of our job, as teachers, is to help you see just how capable and creative you are.

  • We believe that climate change and environmental impact are real and pressing concerns and that we have a responsibility to our planet and to our neighbors to act with integrity and thoughtfulness. We are constantly trying to push ourselves to innovate solutions, without overlooking the simple ways our actions contribute.

  • We refuse to use problematic /toxic materials in glazing, we recycle and reuse all clay scrap, reuse clay boxes and old newspapers for packing materials, we repurpose wood shavings and leaves for our raku firings, we make clay tools from recycled and scrap wood and up-cycle old tools and steel pallet strapping, and this year, we installed solar panels, which will generate enough power to run our kilns, lights and HVAC.

  • We believe that we always need to be moving forward and challenging ourselves to do more. Some of our green initiatives for the future are: living walls, recycling rainwater to use as our throwing water, using white paint on the sides of building to reflect heat during summer, and landscaping with passive solar design in mind (to create shade).

  • We’re working towards rejecting a throwaway mentality by slowing down and appreciating handmade individual things instead of mass-produced pieces. Our students contribute to the preservation and valuation of craft in our lives.

  • We believe that to have a community, you have to invest in the community. We partner with Hope Haven, the Get Comfortable campaign, Project Safe and Fresh Harvest. In the upcoming year, we’d like to add Athens PRIDE to our list of partners.

  • We believe that access is a key gatekeeper to many experiences, and a cornerstone of access is often money. To work on that, we make clay donations to schools, offer scholarships, reduced-cost field trips & work-trade opportunities to create financial accessibility in our pricing. You can help us provide even more assistance by continuing to support the studio, purchasing classes, and buying our “Espress Yourself” coffee. 100% of the profits from our coffee go towards our scholarship fund.

  • We believe that it is never too late to learn, and it’s never to late to start.

  • We believe that our studio is not just a place where art happens. It is also a place to make connections, forge friendships, and find community.

  • Our studio managers have been young, creative, intelligent, amazing women. We believe that young women should be listened to and respected, that age does not equal inexperience, and that no one should be treated with disrespect in this space.

  • We believe that one of the most healing and life-changing things that you can do is to let go of what you think you can and cannot do, of any boxes that you’ve put yourself in. One of the ways to do that is to try something new. Maybe even something that scares you a little bit. Just to prove to yourself you’re bigger and more than you know.

  • We need art as a medium of radical self-love and empowerment. And we want to inspire, support, and validate the choice to make time for yourself. We encourage you to reject the notion that self-care is self-ish. We encourage you to reject guilt around it. We encourage you to embrace time and investment in you.

  • We believe that the role of making and of creativity is a necessity. That’s why we offer our students 24/7 studio access, so that whenever you can find time in your schedule to make art, it’s there for you.

  • We believe that learning is an act of discovery, openness, and permission to be fully and truly yourself. We want that freedom for you.

  • We believe that art is the vehicle for your unique voice to carry and take up the space it deserves to in this world. No one can make what you can make. The world needs that.

  • We believe that appreciation of craft and of handmade objects comes from making them ourselves. The process of creating things from scratch changes your worldview, it changes how you value time and the handmade. We also believe this is a important value to cultivate when we are surrounded by immediacy, the idea of things being disposable, a culture of the mass-produced that values low prices over well-made.

  • We believe that art can transform your life. It can be therapy. It can be a shelter when life is turbulent. It is connection and community. It is expression when words fail you, or when words aren’t enough. It is joy and lightness and a break from the weight of what the world can add.

  • We believe that art is power, medicine, activism, self-care, hope, connection, joy, empathy, subversion, liberation, restoration, humanity, freedom, community, change.

goals

  • To provide a diverse and thriving studio space that serves the needs of our community.

  • To run a business that puts people first.

  • To continue to move in the direction of sustainability, with an eye on constant forward progress.

  • To remove obstacles of access or aspects of studio culture that don’t support diversity and inclusion.

  • To mentor, encourage, support, and teach people on their journey to realizing they are artists.

  • To always look for ways that we can grow, improve, and move forward.

  • To give more than we take.

  • To “do business” with kindness, inclusivity, access, sustainability, and acceptance as the foundation for all of our choices.