A new ceramics studio is coming to Merced for families, community. When’s opening day?

A third-generation potter who has traveled the globe on volunteer and humanitarian work has landed in downtown Merced with a ceramics studio she hopes will be a safe haven for artists of all types.

“This is kind of my passion project in a sense because I’m getting to combine my love of working with people, and my love of creating and making art, my love of teaching, and then also bringing in that side of like that hospitality you know and like welcoming folks in and making people feel really comfortable in a space that maybe they wouldn’t,” said Brie Wolf, founder and owner of EarthWorks ClaySpace.

“That’s why I actually went with the name clayspace instead of like studio or anything like that. I really like the idea of it being a community space.”

EarthWorks ClaySpace will have its opening reception from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday.

Located downtown at 355 W Main St. the event will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, instructor meet and greets, and refreshments by Bella Luna Merced.

This space will offer programs and workshops for all age groups and skill levels. Pottery wheel classes are sold out for the month of June, but hand-building classes and kids summer camp sessions still have openings.

Classes are $300 for six weeks and summer camp is $150 per week. Starting at $12, folks can also come in and paint unfinished pottery.

Memberships will be offered in the fall. Members will have access to certain perks like firing, catalog discounts, a spot in the EarthWorks art gallery, and more.

Wolf doesn’t want cost to be an issue, and has already started exchanging volunteer hours for classes. In the future she hopes to offer scholarships as well. For more information check out their website here.

Wolf spent most of her childhood living in Nebraska.

Wolf was exposed to the world of clay at a very young age, but didn’t take it more seriously until college when she joined studios in the area. She earned a degree in early childhood education from Skyline College. She has been a teacher, and operated a Michelin-level fine dining restaurant, and managed a catering business in San Francisco.

Wolf took her hobby to the next level during the pandemic. With the extra time, she created a small home studio to practice her art. Then a friend commissioned her to create for his bar and restaurant.

“So when I started to pursue that with him, it’s like it really started to resonate with me a lot more,” Wolf said. “I could actually do this as something more than just like a hobby.”

Wolf continued to create and started to commission her work on Etsy, her personal website, and for restaurants.

Finally she made her way to Merced around 2022 after lots of coercion from friends and Bella Luna owners Anaid Martinez-DiTullio and Giancarlo DiTullio.

With the closest studio being about 30 minutes away this sparked the initial idea to operate and open a ceramics studio.

“I really just felt a calling to do something bigger than me and how could I do that,” Wolf said.

While at Bella Luna one day, she saw the for lease sign go up for the old Gottschalk Music Center. Starting out as a joke, it shortly became a reality for Wolf.

After conversations with the property manager and landlord, the space was cut in half to become more feasible.

“I honestly feel like this space chose me,” Wolf said.

Within the year she earned the LLC of EarthWorks ClaySpace and has been working to prepare for the opening reception.

Those attending the opening will have a chance to get a sneak peek of the space, play with clay, and earn a discount on classes. Vendors from the community will also be in attendance and are offering some of their items for free.

The space will officially be open Monday, June 10.