""In 2012, there were only a handful of pottery studios in San Francisco; there's around 26 at this point," said Steve Allen, owner of SMAart Gallery & Studio."
""A lot of my students are people who work in tech or in finance and they're just really disconnected from the world. It's unclear what is real and then they come in and they start working with clay and it's very grounding," said Katie Petro, co-owner of KnK Contemporary."
""I do like the touch of clay, the way the clay responds to every touch and the way that you can turn it into any shape or thing that you want," said Steve Allen."
""Oftentimes they would start working on the wheel and their eyes would leak, they were getting all of this pain and trauma that they had gone through out working with clay," Petro said, recalling her time teaching at Allen's studio."
The Bay Area is witnessing a ceramics renaissance, with the number of pottery studios in San Francisco increasing from a handful in 2012 to around 26 today. The rise in popularity is attributed to people rediscovering creative hobbies during the pandemic and seeking activities that provide a break from screen time. Many students are professionals from tech and finance, finding grounding through working with clay. Ceramics studios have also served as therapeutic spaces for healthcare workers during the pandemic, integrating ceramics into fine arts through collaborative efforts.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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