Hi and welcome
For a number of years, I've been thinking about and wanting to build a very local ceramic community, a "support group for ceramic artists", if you will. Although I've lived in Rhode Island for six years now, I feel like I know only a few of the ceramic artists here. In speaking with the other ceramic artists that I have met, there is a similar feeling.
Rhode Island Ceramic Artists Support (RICAS) has been created to try and build local community and find a way to reach out to each other when we need help with or have questions about our studio practices. This is just a simple electronic forum to connect ceramic artists in Rhode Island.
Imagine you're loading a kiln and you break your last shelf. You really need to get the firing done that weekend, but who do you know who has an extra shelf to lend?
Perhaps you've received a big commission that requires a lot of tin oxide for majolica, but you won't be using a whole 50# bag. The local pottery suppliers all charge crazy amounts for small amounts of tin oxide; it feels like a rip-off. Post on RICAS and see if anyone else will go in on a full bag with you.
Or maybe you've got bags of material that you will never use again and would like to "pay it forward" by giving the material away rather than have it go to waste?
My hope is that RICAS will connect local ceramic artists to help in these situations and loads more.
If you are a Rhode Island ceramic artist, I hope you'll join, reap the benefits, and spread the joy.
Forrest