Massachusetts-based arts organization raising funds to create mobile clay gallery & learning center Pots On Wheels (POW!) represents the collaboration of one hundred potters to launch a KickStarter online fundraising effort. The fundraiser began Nov. 4 and runs to Dec. 1.

11.05.14 Massachusetts — Pots On Wheels (going by its acronym, POW!) is initiating a fundraising campaign through the website KickStarter to purchase a commercial-size van that will enable local ceramic artists to bring the hand-made experience of pottery to under-served communities. The KickStarter campaign is remarkable for the fact that over 100 potters have donated work to help raise support. Individuals who pledge to the POW! KickStarter will have the choice to receive an original work of ceramic art from among hundreds of donated pieces, or other pledge incentives. The POW! KickStarter campaign begins November 4 and runs until December 1.

Hayne Bayless, one of the founding artists behind POW!, said, “Having a hundred artists supporting the success of our KickStarter is very exciting. From emerging artists to some who are internationally known, their participation speaks to the spirit of collaboration that is at the heart of our mobile gallery and clay learning project.”

POW! will use the funds it raises to purchase and modify a commercial-sized van to create a flexible space for collaborative community clay projects. This van will reach under-served neighborhoods and settings where art studio and display space is at a premium or otherwise unavailable. POW! is a collaboration between several Massachusetts-based artists: Hannah Niswonger, Adero Willard, Sam Taylor, Mark Shapiro, Arthur Halvorsen, Kathy King, and Hayne Bayless (of CT) in partnership with area arts institutions including the Society of Arts & Crafts (Boston), the Ceramics Program at Harvard University (Cambridge), and Mudflat Studio (Somerville).

“The name ‘Pots On Wheels’ describes what our program will provide to communities throughout our area, but the name ‘POW!’ describes the kind of impact that we believe the arts can have in people’s lives.” said Hannah Niswonger. “In this day and age when the arts are being stripped from schools, we and our partner organizations like the Society of Arts & Crafts see an incredible need to deliver the experience of fine craft. The KickStarter campaign is the first step.”

KickStarter is an established fund-raising website on which individuals pledge donation amounts to organizations or businesses, each of which has its own page within the KickStarter site. The POW! KickStarter page ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1405237878/pots-on-wheels ) has more information about the project; photographs of many of the donated works of original art can be found at the POW! website: www.PotsOnWheels.com.

The POW! KickStarter campaign will run from November 4 to December 1.
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Media Contact: Hannah Niswonger PHONE: 781-729-4398 EMAIL: [email protected]