Inside Art with Michael Rose - Anyhow Studio Makes Ceramics Accessible

Inside Art with Michael Rose - Anyhow Studio Makes Ceramics Accessible

 

Ceramics is one of the most popular creative media, offering makers the opportunity to create objects that are functional as well as beautiful. Anyhow Studio in Providence, run by dynamic artist and founder Liz Welch, is a newer space on the scene but one that makes the art of ceramics accessible to a broad range of students and craftspeople. Through her work, Welch is bringing ceramics skills to new audiences and her studio is a beehive of energetic creativity.

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Located in a historic jewelry mill at 72 Spooner Street in South Elmwood, Anyhow Studio is a space where novices and experienced hands can throw pottery and make ceramic works. It features two impressive kilns, a number of pottery wheels, and plenty of workspace. Around the studio, shelves are lined with projects in process. Anyhow Studio is a unique model, offering classes and instruction while also featuring a member component, and even renting their kilns to artists.

 

 

Speaking of the philosophy behind, and the name of, her studio space, Welch says, “Anyhow's philosophy is deeply rooted in my own struggles maintaining a creative practice. Starting is the hardest part. If we can cultivate a culture that encourages experimentation, and divorces a piece of bad or good work from the artist's personhood, beginning is much easier. I was having a particularly tough day in the studio and I came across a Lisa Congdon print with the text ‘Begin Anyhow.’ It was so earnest and simple and really resonated with me. I grabbed a piece of paper, wrote the words down and hung it above my wheel and got to work.”

 

Describing what she hopes people experience when taking a class at Anyhow Studio, Welch states, “Above all, I hope that people have fun and are able to let go, even a little bit, of an imagined outcome. Anyhow is a place where people can exist in the moment and experiment in a really low stakes environment. And it doesn't hurt that using your phone isn't an option because your hands are covered in clay.”

 

 

Welch came to Providence after a time living in the Boston area. Since being in Rhode Island, she has enmeshed herself in the local art community, becoming an enthusiastic connector. Asked what she would describe as her favorite element of the Rhode Island art community, Welch is direct, saying, “This one's easy: the generosity and opportunity for collaboration.”

 

Welch has had a varied education. She earned her undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and went on to study Interior Architecture at the New England College of Art and Design before earning her Certificate in Furniture Design from a joint program run by North Bennet Street School and Massachusetts College of Art and Design. In addition to her busy job owning Anyhow Studio, she has taught ceramics at The Steel Yard and has maintained her own artistic practice. She has exhibited her work widely. Her gift for creating three dimensional design comes across in her work as a furniture maker, but also naturally lends itself to her successful ceramics practice.

 

Working alongside Welch to keep Anyhow Studio humming with activity are Mary Drake and Alex Hoffman. Drake is an alum of the UMass Dartmouth ceramics program and serves as Anyhow’s Studio Manager and Instructor. Hoffman is a RISD graduate who provides important expertise as Studio Technician. Together, the three make up a warm and welcoming team. Spending time with Welch in the studio, one finds a passionate creative entrepreneur who is working hard to bring something new to Providence and to Rhode Island. She is enthusiastic about community and the craft of making, and is ever ready to share her expertise with artists, students, and visitors.

 

 

Asked what she has learned so far in her entrepreneurial journey, Welch says, “The value of listening and asking for help. I can confidently say that I would not be experiencing this success without about a million people who supported me along the way, and continue to offer support as the studio grows. My leadership mantra comes from Brene Brown: ‘I'm here to get it right, not to be right.’”

 

Welch has gotten a lot right with Anyhow Studio, which is already one of the most dynamic and exciting ceramics studios in the area. As this business grows it promises to introduce scores of talented new individuals to the art and craft of clay-based artworks.

 

Anyhow Studio is located at 72 Spooner Street in Providence. Details on classes can be found at www.anyhowstudioprovidence.com. The studio also posts regular updates on Instagram @anyhowstudioprovidence.