Molding Change
Anyhow Studio is a ceramics studio where community comes first . By Grace Kelly
It ’ s a cool Thursday evening , but the heat from a kiln warms a second floor room at 72 Spooner St . in Providence . At a table in the center , students knead mounds of clay like bakers kneading dough , throwing it on the table , pushing it with their palms , then scooping it up and — thwack , back on the table .
PHOTOGRAPHY ( THIS PAGE ): COURTESY OF ANYHOW STUDIO / BRITTANNY TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHY ; ( OPPOSITE PAGE ): COURTESY OF VIANA VALENTINE / MAURISA MACKEY PHOTOGRAPHY .
Liz Welch wanders the space , giving out pointers and later doing a demo on how to use the pottery wheel . Across the room , a piece of paper is taped to the window . “ Begin Anyhow ,” it reads .
And that ’ s exactly how Welch wants visitors to begin working with clay .
Her ceramics space , Anyhow Studio , which opened in August , is named after the eponymous quote by artist Lisa Congdon , the
same quote scrawled on the paper taped to the window .
Welch began her own journey with ceramics after losing her job . With her newfound free time , she attended an artists ’ workshop , which inspired her to later join a community pottery studio and start working with clay . “ When I sat down on the wheel and began throwing I was like , ‘ This makes sense to me ,’ ” she says .
That was in 2012 . Welch has taught numerous ceramics courses over the years and while doing so , came to notice a pattern whenever those classes ended . When people were grabbing their belongings and leaving for the last time , they would often come up to her and say , “ I ’ m totally hooked on pottery ” followed by , “ what ’ s next ?”
“ I would usually answer with some version of ‘ that ’ s great !’ followed by ‘ I don ’ t know !’ ” says Welch . “ And the more I heard this question , the more apparent it became that there was nowhere to go , especially if enrolling in another class wasn ’ t financially possible .”
The idea of a community studio , where the “ what ’ s next ?” would have a tangible , physical answer , percolated in her mind . Then , after receiving help from DESIGNxRI to bring her vision to life , Welch reached out to the community to ask them exactly what they were looking for in a studio .
The answer is an inclusive place where you can come to clay wherever you are in life , or as Welch puts it , anyhow .
“ I really want to give folks what they asked for because what else is the point ?” she says . Part of this will eventually include scholarships for BIPOC and LGBTQ folks , and an environment that encourages compassion and understanding .
Welch likens working with clay in a community setting to yoga practice . “ If you ’ re struggling in a pose , you feel the energy of the room , you kind of get the sense that , okay I ’ m struggling , but other people are probably struggling , too .”
She also sees creating ceramics , molding with your hands and working the clay , as a way to build something and feel a sense of purpose in the world . During a time when isolation has kept us apart , Welch hopes that her studio will become a place where the clay can mold us back together .
“ When everything feels so ungrounded and hard and scary right now , if you ’ re trying something new like working with clay , you ’ re the one making decisions and you have some element of control ,” she says . “ And then , hopefully you walk away with a bowl or two . It ’ s physical evidence that you did something hard and saw through it to the end , and then you have this beautiful bowl .” 72 Spooner St ., Providence , anyhowstudioprovidence . com �
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MARCH 2022 19