What began as a few bags of clay in a garage has grown into one of the Central Valley’s most meaningful creative spaces; one where pottery is more than art, and a studio is more than a place to make things.
Good Dirt, a Fresno-based pottery studio and nonprofit collective, was born during the early days of the COVID-19 shutdown. Co-owner Jorden Collins had just set up a small ceramic studio in her garage when lockdowns began. While she felt fortunate to have a creative outlet, it didn’t take long to notice a deeper need forming around her.
“I could hear the grumbling,” Jorden said, recalling friends whose kids were restless and overwhelmed. After giving clay to a friend whose daughters then spent hours quietly creating together, Jorden had an idea. She posted on Nextdoor offering free one-pound bags of clay to families, along with glazing and firing anything that was returned. In one rainy weekend, she gave away more than 100 pounds of clay.
“That’s when I realized our northwest Fresno community needed a pottery outlet as much as I did,” she said.
From that moment, Good Dirt Pottery Studio began to take shape, offering wheel throwing, hand-building classes, and accessible “Try Night” experiences that quickly became popular with families, couples, and first-time potters. But as the studio grew, so did its mission…