IN PROCESS : ANNA SCHWARTZ

ANNA SCHWARTZ : YPSI CLAY HOUSE

Introducing In Process - a photography project that offers a behind-the-scenes look at artists and makers in the midst of creating. From painters and potters to chefs and writers, I’m spending time with people as they bring their work to life, capturing the movements and moments of focus that shape their craft. Along with the photos, I’ll be sharing a few interview questions to get to know each artist or maker a little more, along with links to their work. This project is about honoring the process as much as the finished piece - because what it takes to make something is just as compelling as the thing itself.

Anna in her light-filled studio in Ypsilanti, MI.

: How long have you been making pottery and what drew you to this particular art form?

I took my first pottery class on a whim in 2018. I hadn't thought of working with clay before then but the class was called Potting for Pleasure and Protest and I couldn't pass that up. The name was too good. And I was hooked instantly. 

: Is there a particular point in your process of creating that feels the most fulfilling and why?

These days I love trimming. I used to dread it but now I feel like it's the sweet spot where a piece is still mostly potential. When you're trimming you're not working with a total blank canvas so to speak but you still have so much room to shape the form into what it will ultimately become. Commiting to a glaze can still paralyze me, plus seeing ribbons of clay fly off the pot is so satisfying. 

: Do you have a favorite piece that you’ve made (so far!) or is there a piece by another artist that you love and aspire to create something similar? Why?

I don't think I've made my favorite piece yet but I absolutely adore the work of Magdalene Odundo. I find her work so embodied and powerful. She has a piece at the DIA that everyone should go see!

 : Are there any artists or teachers you are particularly inspired by at the moment?

At the moment I'm most inspired by the community of friends and makers I'm surrounded by. All of the incredible people I've gotten to meet since starting to share my work last year and all of the people in my life who keep showing up to make art cause they love what they do. The world always needs artists and makers!

:What is your current favorite podcast, music, or book?

I'm mostly listening to podcasts in the studio these days. I just finished Nobel - an 8 part series about a family run crematory in Georgia. Highly recommend!

:What are you currently looking forward to? Can be art related or not!

I'm looking forward to sitting outside and seeing people at markets this summer. Come find me and say hi!

:What is your highest hope for your art?

My highest hope for my art is to make pieces that bring joy to people's lives and daily rituals. Beyond that I hope to make pottery accessible to as many people as I can by opening a community clay space in Ypsi. Clay is such an empowering and rewarding medium and I think everyone who wants to should be able to try their hand at it.

You can find Anna and her work by clicking here:

And on instagram here:

If you know an artist or maker who would be a great fit for this project, please reach out and share their information - I’d love to connect!

52 Portraits 25: Kayj Michelle Garrison

Kayj is the co-creator of First Fridays Ypsilanti, a thriving, self-guided monthly art and culture walk hosted at multiple venues throughout the downtown areas of Ypsilanti. She is a lover of travel and a spiritual seeker, and Kayj shares in this podcast how the two seemed to go hand in hand on her recent trips to Zambia and India. I caught up with her recently during a time of transition as she steps down from her role as president of FFY. If you are feeling like you’re “in between” things in your life, or you find yourself questioning how you spend your time, this conversation has something for you. 

Read More

52 Portraits 24: Marianne Simpson

Marianne is a yoga instructor and has been a personal mentor of mine for over a decade. I have mentioned her in previous episodes as the friend who helped my partner and I heal after our car accident with what she called “trauma yoga”. She has been such a huge inspiration in my life and has taught me and many others through her example of what it truly means to love oneself. Marianne found yoga in her 50s when a nurse practitioner prescribed it instead of antidepressants. She had no idea what a huge part of her life it would become, and that she would eventually be leading others along the same path. In this episode we get to hear an example of how Marianne guides her students toward their center,

Read More

52 Portraits 23: Rachel Redmond

Rachel is a licensed acupuncturist residing in East Lansing, MI. She reached out to me requesting to be a part of this project, and I feel there is no better way to introduce you to Rachel than by sharing an excerpt of the email she sent me. I was so moved by her courage and I’m hopeful that her words will inspire you to take the time to listen to her story. It contains so much love, so much grief, and ultimately, so much hope.

“I’m reaching out to you now because I'm looking for opportunities to share my story of having a so-called "late term" abortion. I feel a great urgency to keep sharing a perspective on abortion that often goes untold. 

Read More

52 Portraits 22: Paquetta Palmer

“Here is what you need to know about the Divine Miss P. She is an activist. She is a chef and organizer and honorary Auntie to what is now a few generations of this community’s children. She is a fierce mama lion for her chosen family and her community, especially those most marginalized by our society. She shows up where needed. She shows up when life hits you hard and others scatter. She will be present for her friends and those in need. She feeds us, challenges us to be better, forgives us, loves us, offers up wisdom with knowing humor and a belly laugh, and then she gets us up on the dance floor.” This is just the beginning of Jean Henry’s explanation of how inspiring Paquetta is to those fortunate enough to know her.

Read More

52 Portraits 21: Dr. Rana Awdish

If you have ever experienced trauma and have had to deal with feeling less than human as a patient in the hospital, or even at your doctor’s office, this podcast has something for you. Rana is the Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and a practicing Critical Care Physician. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed, best selling memoir, In Shock, based on the less-than-empathetic care she received during her near death experience in her own hospital. In this podcast we discuss the ways our medical care can lack empathy and humanity, and some of the things that are changing in order to fix that.

Read More

52 Portraits 20: Arianne Abela

Arianne lives and breathes music and is part of the conducting faculty at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She is also founder and director of the Detroit Women's Chorus, and founder of Justice Choir-Detroit. Born without her left leg and most of her fingers, Arianne’s journey has been one about self acceptance and overcoming obstacles. In this podcast she shares a little of the story of how she came to be a person who is dedicated to “Using music as a vessel to help others come together and perhaps understand each other more.”

Read More

52 Portraits 19: Satori Shakoor

Satori Shakoor is a storyteller, artist, former Parliament-Funkadelic singer, and social entrepreneur. After losing her son and her mother within 9 months of each other and being in the depths of a powerful grief, Satori found healing in her art of storytelling on the Moth Main Stage. This ignited the idea that maybe storytelling could also heal her hometown of Detroit, and The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers was born. The mission would be to “connect, heal, and transform’ her community. Today SSTS is a mainstay at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and is doing just that.

Read More

52 Portraits 18: Amber Buist

Leaving home at just 16 years old, Amber started off on her own with nothing. Fast forward to now and you will find a strong, passionate, people-connector whose life is abundant with community and purpose. Amber has reinvented herself many times and after a failed record deal, working in travel, getting her masters in social work, and fostering 50 kids, she is on her fourth successful career as manager of her daughters nationally acclaimed band, The Accidentals. I believe this podcast will inspire you to start asking your neighbors and friends over for dinner, to find a way to do the thing you’ve always wanted to do, and maybe even to accept yourself right where you’re at.

Read More