Community Ceramics Collaboration Campaign:
Ceramics for Our Afghan Refugee Neighbors
An important priority of The Potters’ Studio is to share the appreciation of ceramic artistry with the broader community and recently we were able to do so in a tangible way. The Community Ceramics Collaboration Campaign provided a couple hundred pieces of well-crafted ceramics from our studio to 75-100 Afghan refugee families at their food pick-up site at the Afghan Center in Fremont. The Potters’ Studio partnered with CHAA (Community Health for Asian Americans) and their health equity director, Nwe Oo. This is the first initiative of a campaign to provide handmade pottery to those who value ceramics but cannot easily afford them.
Piggy-backing on a regular food bank event, we spread our wares as families lined up for food. People were delighted that they were offered beautiful ceramics, and spent time to find the pieces that meant the most to them. One woman shared how the small covered pot she picked was the perfect vessel to make yogurt, as the clay would impart some flavor. We provided functional pieces such as mugs, plates and bowls but vases and tea candle holders were also appreciated. It was fun to watch people selecting carefully from the displayed pottery. Individuals were conscious that others were still arriving and as a result they limited the number of pieces they selected. There were a number of children at the pickup and that was one of the highlights. They loved the ceramics. As one of our contributors commented, “Heartwarming to see the smiles on so many faces.” The ceramics clearly meant a lot. Several attendees mentioned the thoughtfulness and generosity of The Potters’ Studio Members.
The satisfaction was of course mutual. As one Potters’ Studio student who contributed to the campaign responded, “You made my day by seeing pictures of folks with my pieces!” We received pieces from across the entire Studio community – Students, Members, Staff and Teaching Artists, and so far a total of about 30 people, have been actively involved or have committed to future efforts.
The Community Ceramics Collaboration Campaign plans to organize similar events 4-6 times annually. In addition to other refugee groups, we have had initial conversations with an organization serving foster care youth as they move into their first adult home, participants resettling after substance abuse rehabilitation programs, and a Native American urban support initiative.
We have some ceramics remaining for our next event and received some pieces and further commitment from exhibitors at the Holiday Sale, but we invite more donations, especially functional pieces, for our upcoming events. We are storing the ceramics in our garages in North Berkeley, but drop-offs can occur at the Studio (you can ask Staff where to leave your donations). If you want a letter of acknowledgment for your donation, send an email to Tali (tali@berkeleypottersstudio.org ) with your information and a dollar estimate of your donation.
We would like to expand the network of people who donate, as well as those who can help us to form partnerships, collect and distribute ceramics. While Staff have been extremely helpful and supportive, it’s important that the primary efforts come from our Member/Student community. We would love to hear from you. Please contact Larry (larry@larrycohen.org) or Beth (beth@berkeleypottersstudio.org). Please spread the word to other Members and Students.
Enjoy the photos and have a Happy New Year!
