Help Colleen move into a new pottery studio!

Hello! I’m Colleen (she/her), a potter and educator from Richmond, CA. I set up this fundraiser because I found an amazing & historical studio space and I need your help! While ceramics is my passion, being an artist during the pandemic has been tough financially, so I’m looking to my wonderful community to support my dreams.

My background

I fell in love with clay at Contra Costa College over a decade ago, and I’ve been learning, working and growing in ceramics ever since. I truly believe my calling is in pottery and teaching. I feel totally fulfilled when I’m with my students and teacher friends, and I feel passionately about making good pots and developing my skills and voice as an artist.

My table a few years ago at the Richmond Art Center holiday craft fair.

About the space

I’ll be renting my own private studio in the historic Voulkos Building, which was ceramic sculptor Peter Voulkos’ former studio in West Berkeley. The building is now a mixed live-work and artist studio space, and I will be the first ceramicist in the building in several years. In the past I’ve always shared small studio spaces, so I’m excited to have more space to work and grow!

Image via the Berkeley Historical Plaque Project. My new studio will be just inside that big garage door!

My dreams for the future

I want to grow my small business and support myself by offering more one-on-one wheel throwing classes, making planters for wholesale to local plant stores, and continuing to make one-of-a-kind pots to sell at markets. I also want to take time this year to make special pieces to submit to shows.

If you sign up for a class with me, you can watch me cut perfectly good pots in half!

The nitty-gritty

I need to raise $2000 before March 1st to pay the move-in cost and moving fees for my new studio. Beyond that immediate goal, I’m hoping to raise enough money to pay a couple month’s rent while I get my studio set up. I’ll buy wood and build shelving, pay an electrician to upgrade the electrical in my space so I can run my kiln, and set up the studio infrastructure so I can sustainably run it for both teaching and my own work.

Some unfired pots I made a couple weeks ago in my studio. I hope to make many more like this soon!

If you have the means and are interested in supporting me in my artist/business journey, I would be so grateful for a contribution.

Thank you.