“We are big believers in the healing power of artmaking, and have been looking for a way to expand our brand in the home and lifestyle category thoughtfully—in a giving, connected, socially conscious, handmade way. During lockdown, we had a lot of time to consider the transformative impact we can make as a business, and that we can, and should do more.
That is why we are thrilled to share our new Waxing Poetic Ceramics line, a handmade collection created in collaboration with MudGirls Studios, that gives back to women in need."
WHY MUDGIRLS STUDIOS?
“My sister Lizanne serendipitously found MudGirls Studios, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, close to where we grew up in Atlantic City, NJ. When we met Dorrie Papademetriou, the Founder of MudGirls Studios, and learned of her mission to empower women through training and the making and sale of functional ceramic art, we knew we found our clay artists.”
HOPE IN YOUR HANDS - ABOUT THE PROJECT
“Our ceramic pieces are so much more than products. They represent tangible hope. Each and every sale is important, giving at-risk women the opportunity to gather safely in community, with their hands in the clay, growing and learning together, and receiving a wage and supplemental income to help them transition to a better life.” — Lizanne Pagliei-Hales, Co-Founder, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing
WORKING THE MUD
Since she started the studio in 2016, MudGirls Studios founder Dorrie Papademetriou has witnessed how making acknowledges one’s sense of belonging and worthiness: “Working the mud and making art is creative and transformative. Taking a chunk of clay and giving it form and shape, transforming it into a beautiful usable object, gives the maker a sense of accomplishment and affirms one’s own existence: ‘I make, therefore I am.’
“As the ceramics designer of this collection, it is an exciting challenge to translate the beautiful jewelry designs of Waxing Poetic into functional ceramics for the home. As each piece is carefully made by hand, MudGirls Studios production has kicked into high gear to produce these soulful objects.”
“Grateful,” the first piece designed for the new Waxing Poetic x MudGirls Studios ceramics collection.
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS
“It has been amazing to witness these artists turn some of our most beloved themes into objects to treasure. Honoring these women is at the center of this project, and their energy is felt in each and every piece. This collaboration celebrates our 20th anniversary and expresses the essence of Waxing Poetic in form, but also in meaning – the wonder of being here together, for each other.” — Patti Pagliei, Waxing Poetic CEO, Founder & Creative Director
ABOUT MUDGIRLS STUDIOS
MudGirls Studios, a non-profit organization located in Atlantic City, NJ, is 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, available at Waxing Poetic dealers, and online at www.mudgirlsstudios.org.