THE LITTLE STUDIO THAT COULD
By Chris Wadsworth
It was August 2023 – Ashburn and the rest of the country was coming out of the pandemic – and Susan Ritchey decided it was time to strike. She opened a new pottery studio – CIY Pottery – in Ashburn and watched as the customers poured in.
“Pottery just keeps growing,” Ritchey said. “There are some TV shows on now about pottery. People explored pottery during the pandemic. And I think pottery is a bit therapeutic. We are dealing with some tough times, people have a lot of stress, and pottery is a fabulous retreat from that.”
It also was fortuitous that another pottery craft shop in Leesburg closed around the same time. Area potters were looking for a new home for throwing wheels, glazes, classes and supplies.
Since then, CIY Pottery – CIY stands for “create it yourself” – has been a busy hive for local artisans and wannabe artisans as well. The studio is in the University Commerce Center off Riverside Boulevard north of Route 7.
Its business model can be roughly divided into three sections. First, classes are held every week. Most are pottery-focused, but Ritchey and her team also bring in artists working in other mediums – including guest teachers from around the country and even overseas.
“We have had artists that came over from Spain,” said Claudia Ayala, an instructor at CIY. “They are able to teach us different things – techniques that are not common here.”
In addition to the classes, CIY Pottery offers memberships, giving local potters access to throwing wheels, firing kilns and other tools to create their art. Finally, the shop also carries a full supply of tools, clays, and other items – everything that a home potter might need.
For Ritchey, the success of CIY is a dream come true. She spent years as an executive with a healthcare company and decided upon retirement that she wanted to do something more artistic and something that wasn’t driven by bottom-line financials.
And it turns out that molding clay into art – and building a business to boot – was the perfect answer.
IF YOU GO
- What: CIY Pottery
- Where: 44933 George Washington Blvd., Suite 160, Ashburn
- When: Open Mondays-Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
- More details: ciypottery.com or (703) 715-7685