The Fire Within
‘Round the wheel with Earth-n-Ware ceramics studio
By Molly Coulter
Published on 09/20/2007
Jars of clay: Chandra K. Robinson, of Earth-n-Ware ceramics, trims a bowl in her studio. Photo by Josh Biggs.
In American cities with train fairways, the phrase “south of the tracks” exists—often denoting areas of high crime and alerting others to the risks of rubbing the underbelly. Just south of the tracks in downtown Flagstaff a group of often over-looked businesses and residences are booming with historical etchings, ethnic meals and diverse musical and artistic talents. One Southside gallery and studio opened its doors two years ago and has established itself as the premier center for ceramic arts in northern Arizona.
“The Southside has so much good art down here and I’d really like it to take off,” shop owner and ceramic instructor Chandra Robinson says inside Earth-n-Ware ceramics, 113 W. Phoenix Ave. “It’s a hidden jewel of downtown and most people don’t experience it.”
Robinson explains every week someone, usually a local, will pop in to her shop and exclaim he or she didn’t realize her store existed. But those who have unearthed the studio have kept busy learning from Robinson and improving their abilities.
“I took classes once before and it was really different from the way Chandra teaches,” says Len Cooley, one of the students positioned at one of eight potter’s wheels during the Intermediate Throwing class offered twice weekly. “It is much easier to learn from her. I would say 90 percent of what Chandra teaches us, I didn’t know before.”
Kathy McKeiver agrees. “She’ll watch you while you’re working and give you tips while you’re throwing,” she says. “If you’re doing it incorrectly, it’s probably because you don’t know how to do it the right way.”
Robinson approaches another student as she forms a bottle, which Robinson had demonstrated earlier in the evening class.
“When you’re slicing in, you’re essentially going really slow,” she says. “It steadies you and it’s all about the support. You see all them buckles? Get your fingers in there and give it a little bit of compression.”
Robinson graduated with a degree in art from Ohio University and worked for another Flagstaff ceramicist before opting to open her own shop in 2005.
“I felt that Flagstaff needed a studio for artists who didn’t have their own studios to come and work in and to work with others in a community setting,” she says. “I didn’t have room to have a studio of my own so I was taking classes, but I didn’t want to be in school anymore. I didn’t want to be in an institutional setting and there are many others like me—so with inspiration from Ellen Tibbetts, a veteran Flagstaff artist, I put together the idea of opening this place. I talked about it with her and people had been talking about this for years and years. She said nobody has done it and kind of pushed me.”
Earth-n-Ware’s studio space holds potter’s wheels, work benches, ample wall shelves for drying art and two kilns for firing students’ work. Robinson offers beginning to advanced classes in creating tile and throwing clay that run in eight-week sessions. Children and adults alike can sign up or elect general membership that guarantees work space without instruction. Even the trained potter who has the time and space at home to create, but may not have the space and money for a kiln can rent cubic inches to fire their own artwork.
“It enables some people to be able to work at home at their own pace and maybe those people don’t have room or can’t afford a kiln, but they have a place they can bring it to,” Robinson says. “Even with the memberships, maybe they don’t have an extra bedroom or a space in their garage, so this gives them a space where they can come to work and work in a community setting. You learn from others when you’re working around people rather than working alone. You can see the mistakes that other people make or the triumphs they achieve.”
Student Karen McKay agrees. “I really try to brush up on certain skills and learn new pointers,” she says. “It’s nice to get around other people. I’m at home all day with a 2-year-old. I have a wheel at home, but I get kind of stuck doing the same stuff.”
Her statement is validated as the members of the Intermediate Throwing class compliment each others’ work and suggest other creations. Student Ryan Drum explains to Robinson his ideas for a bird feeder and a stove-top utensil holder. Brye Baker says she enjoys getting away from work, home and school and the bind of graded expectations. While McKeiver says walking the path of artistic self-improvement is most enjoyable.
“I’m definitely getting better, which is nice,” she says. “I like watching the progression; looking at earlier pieces compared to more recent pieces.”
Robinson’s self-improvement is evident inside the gallery, which also features students’ and members’ work for sale. When the business opened Robinson lined the cinderblock shelves with typical ceramics: pots, plates, cups and bowls. Now the store-front displays jewelry, plates for covering electrical wall units, toothbrush holders, chalices and other innovative designs that are as practical as they are pleasing. A ceramic tile sign hanging near the rear of the building points to the unisex bathroom with clever use of male and female symbols. Robinson hunts through rummage stores for clocks to dismantle and salvage their parts for arty timepieces. Remnants of broken clay pots and kiln-shattered casualties grow anew in a small garden fencing the shop’s exterior.
Like all great artists, Robinson says financial wavering has been the greatest difficulty in running the shop. However, she says the rewards of watching students and their abilities grow outweigh the high costs of overhead.
“I have had students like Karen McKay who started at Earth-n-Ware and took the tile class,” she says. “Then she moved on to the beginning throwing class, then the advanced. She was so excited about what she had learned that she asked for a potter’s wheel for her birthday. With a 2-year-old she can’t find much time at home, so she comes here. It makes me feel like I’ve somewhat been an inspiration to people by turning them on to the process. I love seeing people fall in love with it.”
“I had another student who is moving to Montana and is considering opening up a place like this there,” she continues. “I’m very sad to lose her, but she’s trying to learn as much as she can before she leaves and I wish her the best of luck.”
Earth-n-Ware ceramics is a regular stop on the First Friday Art Walk and Robinson says she loves curious window shoppers, so take a peak next time you’re in the Southside. For more information on classes, memberships and other business inquiries, check out www.earth-n-ware.com.