Our Values

Hand / Thrown was born from a desire to create space for artists to grow, experiment, and come together in community. This is, and always has been our mission. When we say artists, we mean ALL artists. As a community art organization it’s our responsibility to provide an inclusive environment for all of our students. We're committed to nurturing an artistic community that welcomes everyone and allows both experienced and beginner ceramicists to explore, inspire, and share knowledge creatively and otherwise. We are committed to creating accessible opportunities for all of Richmonds citizens to learn and join in the joy of working with clay.

We strive to be more than just a ceramics studio; we’re a space for friends, families and the community to explore and create together. A place for conversation, sharing, learning and the exchange of ideas. We’re a studio for our members and an arts education center for our Northside neighbors; we’re about creating connections that reach beyond the ceramics community, and into our everyday lives. 

We stand in strong support of our friends and colleagues in marginalized communities and those who struggle to be seen and heard. We are dedicated to providing safe classrooms for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and disabled students 100% of the time. We stand with black and brown communities everywhere and are committed to creating a more equitable, anti-racist society for everyone within our industry and beyond. We welcome diversity and actively work to establish an environment where all students feel heard, supported and safe in their freedom to create. Hate has no place here, and will not be tolerated or accepted on any level.

We acknowledge our neighbors, and the historically black area that we are a part of and celebrate the rich culture and history of the Brookland Park neighborhood. We stand for inclusion, diversity and equality and welcome compassion, respect and kindness within our walls. As a new business on the boulevard we are committed to actively participating in local politics and supporting and partnering with local organizations so we can better understand the needs of our neighbors and our community. It is only through listening, engaging and learning that we can be of better service to everyone who walks through our doors.

We love the planet and make every effort to be as environmentally conscious as possible. We know our daily impact matters, so we make it a priority to reduce our waste and reuse and recycle our resources. We encourage mindful cleaning with an emphasis on reclaiming and reusing all discarded or leftover clay. We teach conscious water use and provide reusable rags for student’s, reducing our need for single use products. We provide reusable plastic wrapping for greenware and reuse each piece until it can no longer function. We strive to learn more about our impact and implement proactive solutions within our studio and our community for a safer, more cared for planet.

We welcome you, your family and your friends to visit our studio, say hello, and get your hands in some clay! We will continue to provide space for all of you, to create new outlets for expression and welcome open dialogue among students and visitors. Art has a powerful way of bringing one another together and we can only hope that you feel at home in our studio as much as we do.