The word that comes to mind when I think of The Clay Studio is transformative. My connection to the Studio has developed over most of my adult life, and possibly from more perspectives than anyone else on the planet. I have been a resident artist, associate artist, instructor, student, board member, board chair, development staff, executive director, CEO, financial supporter, and now part of the ClayTogether campaign leadership team. Whew!
My life has been transformed in so many ways, that it’s hard to even imagine who I would be without the Studio’s influence. My home is filled with clay work from hundreds of artists who have graced the Studio over the years; I feel their presence every day. Some of my dearest life-long friends are from the early days of the Studio as an artist collective; others are people I worked with on Staff or on the Board. While on Staff for 17 years, I transformed myself from an arts enthusiast into a community-minded and effective leader.
I have seen the Studio transform itself many times over, as well as transform just about everyone who has come through its doors. I’ve seen it transform a neighborhood into a thriving cultural district, transform art education for young people with little access to art in their communities, expose audiences to artists from across the globe and attract exceptional young talent to Philadelphia who themselves have transformed the cultural fabric of the city.
Now The Clay Studio will reinvent itself again, invigorate a burgeoning arts neighborhood into a vital focal point for cultural engagement, and fulfill its promise to its founders and supporters: Engage with the myriad possibilities The Clay Studio offers and be changed forever.
Instagram: @amysarwil
Amy Sarner Williams is a professional artist, living and working in Philadelphia PA. She is one of the earliest Resident Artists of The Clay Studio, was one of six members who worked to continue The Clay Studio after the 1980 fire, and she has played a major role in the organization’s development over the years. She spent most of her career in the field of ceramic art–teaching, creating and exhibiting. In 1994 she joined the development staff at The Clay Studio in Old City Philadelphia. She has also been a member of the Board of Directors and Board Chair. In 2001 Amy became the Executive Director and, during her ten years of leadership, doubled the organizational capacity and increased its financial strength. She says it was one of the great joys of her life to see The Clay Studio open its brand new, state of the art facility in 2022.
