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MudGirls Studios Newsletter #4
January 2018
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How Far We've Come
2017! What an amazing year for MudGirls Studios! It was a year of many firsts for us. We held our first Artful Table event, participated in several juried craft fairs, held our first volunteer day, and opened our new studio just in time for the holiday season. We are so grateful to the many wonderful people who have supported us along this journey.
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Into the Studio
We were thrilled beyond words to have our friends join us in our new studio at St. Michael’s Loft, above St. Michael’s church. Even the slippery ice and snow couldn’t hold back our committed visitors. The studio (and soon to be kiln room) were filled with holiday guests purchasing almost every single piece of pottery available, not to mention well over one hundred Christmas ornaments. Some pieces that were not for sale even got snatched up! Alex & Elizabeth Sinari played ethereal, mood music to set a cool vibe, and our tireless volunteers, Pat Smith, Dee Kassis and Eleanor Keefe created a splendid feast of refreshments, desserts, and drinks! Tree McCann and the Academy of Culinary Arts students baked mountains of delicious cookies to top off the event! THANK YOU ALL! Special thanks to Donna Prince and Janis Albuck for prepping and organizing our studio to get it in tip top shape for guests. And extra special thanks to my do-it-all assistant, Lindsey Curtis, and Mary Ellen Swisher and Mary Ellen Walsh for their unmatched saleswomanship! They were busy selling and wrapping at warp speed!
Most of all THANK YOU everyone for validating our mission and empowering our women to keep working hard to pursue a better life for themselves.
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With us from the start
From MudGirls Studios absolute beginning, Kim Richmond and Cookie Till of No. 7311 Café in Ventnor, have been some of our biggest supporters. Believing in MudGirls when we were just an idea, Cookie and Kim opened their small batch bakery as an outpost to sell MudGirls Studios ceramic wares. Throughout the last 18 months, they, along with their wonderful staff have spread the word about MudGirls with energy and enthusiasm, all the while turning over 100% of the pottery sales to MudGirls. We are honored and grateful to be a small part of such a terrific bakery café and call Kim and Cookie our friends.
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Thank you for being our friends
Mary Beth Atwood and Kathy Zenyuk, mother and daughter dynamic duo, have been following MudGirls for over a year, placing special orders, volunteering, and supporting us at our local craft fairs. We love seeing their smiling faces in our booth! On volunteer day, the two painted the stairwell and transformed a tired and tattered space into a welcoming entrance. AND this Christmas, they went above and beyond and created beautiful gift baskets for our MudGirls, overflowing with warm weather gear, treats, gift cards, and sumptuous lotions. Their pure kindness was felt by all of us, and they hold a special place in our hearts.
Community Partnership with South Jersey Industries
South Jersey Industries believes giving back to communities is a vital component of their company’s overall sustainability and success. We are honored to be awarded a grant to support MudGirls Studios Work Training and Artisan Workshop program. Partnering with South Jersey Industries allows us to directly impact more women and the community at large. Together, our social investment will offer an opportunity to learn various skills and earn valuable income to homeless women, those who are disabled or otherwise un-hirable. Becoming a part of MudGirls Studios, women become a part of a community, become engaged in their career development and gain the self-confidence they so desperately need. Thank you South Jersey Industries President and CEO Michael J. Renna and Megan Del Collo, Director, Community Engagement, for giving us the chance to give back! We look forward to a great year with you!
New Year New Exciting Projects
With the addition of our new kiln we are planning to bring more opportunities for women to work at MudGirls Studios. Currently more women are participating in our training program and will soon become MudGirls Studios artisans! We are poised to embark on several exciting new projects in the community, too new to unveil just yet, but we’ll give you a hint: Tiles! You will be hearing more soon!
Missed our previous issues? Catch up on September, October and November to see what else we did in 2017!
Stay connected with us on our website, Facebook and our Instagram.
Donations are also warmly appreciated.
Thank you for your continued support,
Dorrie Papademetriou
MudGirls Studios Founder/Director
Mission
MudGirls Studios is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities in art and entrepreneurship to economically disadvantaged and at-risk women by providing training and skills to transition out of poverty and onto a pathway of self-sufficiency. Through the creation and sale of functional art and aesthetic utilitarian objects women will gain a source of long-term supplemental income.
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