New ceramics studio in Providence encourages all levels

Among pottery wheels and tools, shelves of finished ceramics, and a bucket for reclaimed clay, a print hangs in Liz Welch’s ceramics studio – a drawing of fingers crossed tightly — that reads: “things will work out.” This is a fitting phrase for the leap of faith Welch took in opening the studio this past September.

Like many artists, Welch’s journey has been a circuitous one. A few years after earning a BA in Gender and Sexuality Studies from UMass Amherst, she began a master’s program in interior architecture at New England School of Art and Design in Boston. A couple years in, she took her first furniture design class, fell in love with it, and pivoted to a collaborative furniture design program. Around the same time, she stumbled into yet another great love: ceramics. As Welch puts it, “I started spending all of my free time making pottery and took to the medium in a way that felt incredibly fateful.” While she pursued woodworking for about eight years following the program, she says eventually she returned to clay “and never looked back.”

And thank goodness she didn’t. Anyhow Studio, located on Spooner Street in Providence, offers classes, open studio time, and kiln access – all while serving as a supportive and inclusive space for members to learn, experiment, and grow in the medium. The studio’s name and ethos derives from artist Lisa Congdon’s phrase “Begin Anyhow,” a sweet invitation to simply start, despite how challenging it can be. Welch’s core values for the studio (and her personal life) include education, community, allyship, financial accessibility, and commitment to the environment. “My time at UMass in the Gender and Sexuality Studies department was incredibly formative in developing these values, and in that way, I feel like my professional trajectory has come full circle,” she says. “I knew that I couldn’t start a business without being true to who I am, and this is my way of doing just that.”

Welch makes a point to credit the support she’s received along her journey: a family member who gave her seed money for her first wheel and kiln and DESIGNxRI’s Providence Design Catalyst program which awarded her a grant that helped her launch the studio. “In addition to their financial support, I took workshops alongside a cohort of nine other businesses. I was also assigned a mentor, Asher Rodriquez-Dunn, who was so knowledgeable and helpful, and really guided me through the process,” she says. “I developed my entire framework for how I run my business with the help of DESIGNxRI.” Alongside Welch, studio resident and artist Mary Drake also works as an instructor, as well as Elisheva Goldberg, a ceramic artist who joined Welch as an intern. “To be surrounded by super talented and hardworking women is a dream,” Welch says.

Since opening, the community response has been more than Welch could have hoped. With two classes under their belt, four ongoing, and a waitlist, Welch says she can’t list the classes fast enough. And her favorite part? Watching her students walk into the studio and feel immediately at home. “I worked so hard to create this space, so it’s really meaningful to see that positive reaction. I always love taking my students’ work out of the kiln and seeing the final product. I am so proud of them every time!” Learn more at AnyhowStudioProvidence.com

Anyone who has ever been in the market for a yoga mat knows there are innumerable options. What some people may not know, however, is that many yoga mats are made from polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as PVC, a synthetic plastic material that releases toxins like phthalates and volatile organic compounds, which are harmful to humans and the environment. This troubling fact is why Vincent Brown committed to producing environmentally friendly and non-toxic yoga mats through his Smithfield-based company, 2nd Wind Health.

A military veteran, Brown founded 2nd Wind Health when he realized the appeal of functional fitness. His company’s original mission was to sell fitness equipment and positively impact others by providing them with the means to establish a fitness routine. The company’s shift toward yoga, however, occurred when Brown broke his arm in a snowboarding accident.

Looking for a way to rehab after his injury, Brown followed his mother’s advice and turned to yoga. As he searched for a mat to purchase, he discovered the environmentally harmful materials in most yoga mats. “I then began to research different materials and figured I would make my own,” he says. He developed non-toxic, eco-friendly mats, and, after receiving positive reviews, turned his company’s focus to yoga. “I shifted the company entirely, realizing that yoga in itself can be exactly what I was trying to build: a platform where anyone can enter and then grow, adapting their practice to suit their needs and live the life they love longer.” 2nd Wind Health’s yoga mats are high-quality and have a trackable environmental impact while being free of glue and PVC. With every purchase, customers receive an email detailing where in the world the company plants trees or picks up plastic bottles. “2nd Wind shipments are all carbon neutral,” Brown adds, and mats are biodegradable while still having a long lifespan for the user. “As a company I want 2nd Wind to be more than just a mat – I want it to be a movement. I want people to hop on their mat and breathe easy knowing they are making a positive impact and are part of something far bigger than any one of us,” Brown explains, adding, “I think in order for us all to thrive, we need to make sustainability a priority.”

In addition to its environmental connection, 2nd Wind Health also caters to individual wants and needs, offering cork, sticky, and towel-infused yoga mats. As for those looking to get into yoga, Brown explains that, just like mat preferences, yoga itself is individual. With so many different types of yoga experiences offered, Brown suggests, “you need to figure out what you want from it.” His yoga studio, Phoenix Rising in Smithfield, has a one-month trial offer, and he encourages having conversations to learn about the best type of yoga for each person. Smithfield, 2ndWindHealth.com

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