Private studio rental
180 to 420 square feet with 24 hour access, includes shared shop and kiln room privileges.
In the old mill since 2008
A working mill floor, not a museum
Thirty four studios, a shared kiln room, four etching presses and a gallery that is free to walk into. You will hear the compressor running while you look at the work.
34artist studios
17 yrsin the Valley St mill
1,900class seats yearly
Freegallery admission
Studios and classes
Make something, or come look at what others made
Class fees are subsidized and roughly a quarter of seats each term are offered at no cost.
Open studio membership
Bench space and equipment access in ceramics, print or woodshop without a dedicated room.
Eight week evening class
Wheel throwing, relief printing, figure drawing or darkroom, materials and firing included.
Weekend workshop
One day intensives in raku, monotype, bookbinding and letterpress, no experience needed.
Youth summer studio
Two week sessions for ages 9 to 16, sliding scale down to free, materials provided.
Kiln firing service
Bisque and glaze firings to cone 6 and cone 10 for outside potters, priced by shelf space.
About the Collective
Artists who wanted rent they could survive
Eleven artists signed a lease on a vacant mill floor in 2008 because studio rents downtown had doubled in three years. The Collective is a nonprofit governed by its members, and studio rents are set to cover the building and subsidize the class program, not to hit a market rate. Two thirds of members have been here more than five years.
•Studio rents set by the member board, capped at a fixed increase per year
•About a quarter of class seats offered free through our neighborhood scholarship
•Gallery takes no commission on member sales, artists keep the full amount
Reviews
Members, students and visitors
“I have had a studio here nine years. It is the only reason I still make work in this state, because nowhere else did the numbers add up.”
Nadia S., Studio member, painter
“Took the wheel throwing class at fifty two having never touched clay. The instructor was patient and the kiln room is better equipped than the college I went to.”
Peter H., Ceramics student
“My son did two summers of the youth studio on scholarship. He is applying to art school now because of it.”
Lucia M., Parent, Pawtucket
FAQ
Studios, classes and visiting
How do I get on the studio waiting list?
Fill out the studio interest form and include images of recent work and the medium you work in. The list currently runs about eleven months for the smaller rooms and longer for the large north light spaces. Members vote on new tenants when a room opens, weighted toward artists who would use the shared shops.
Do I need experience to take a class?
No. Every eight week evening class and weekend workshop is written for people starting from zero, and instructors are told to assume nothing. If you have experience and want to push further, ask about the intermediate sections that run in the winter and spring terms.
Can I fire my own pottery here without being a member?
Yes. Drop off bisque or glaze work at the office during gallery hours and we fire to cone 6 and cone 10 on a weekly schedule. Pricing is by shelf space, starting at 22 dollars, and turnaround is typically eight to ten days. Work must be bone dry and free of anything that will run onto a shelf.
Is the gallery free and is it accessible?
The gallery is free and open Wednesday through Sunday afternoons with no ticket. The building has a ramped entrance at the Valley Street loading door and an elevator to all studio floors. The ceramics and print shops are on the ground floor and step free.
Contact
Come see the floor
Gallery is open five afternoons a week and open studio nights happen the first Friday of each month. Call about class registration or the studio waiting list.
Phone(401) 555-0192
Address88 Valley St, Building 4, Providence, Rhode Island
HoursGallery Wed to Sun 12pm to 6pm, studios open to members 24 hours
AreaProvidence, Pawtucket and greater Rhode Island