It’s not always that a business owner is delighted with the person who buys it from them.
But that is the case with Water Street Potters, which opened in 2019, with high hopes by its owner of forming a community of clay artists from the area.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit less than a year later, and Torrington resident Susan Matz was discouraged.
“Covid threw a monkey wrench into things, and since then I’ve gotten older; I didn’t have the energy to run things and do the cleanup and everything,” she said, referring to the pottery studio’s equipment and supplies. “I don’t have the energy to do it at this point in my life.”
In September, resident Ashley Pfister, an artist and medical professional, became the studio’s new owner.
Ashley Pfitzer is the new owner of Water Street Potters, at 39 Water St., Torrington. An artist and medical professional, Pfitzer is already offering classes for families and weekend “date nights” for adults, which include working with clay to make take-home projects. The pottery business first opened in 2019. (Emily M. Olson)
Clients are already finding their way through the doors at 39 Water St., for memberships, classes and “date night” events.
Matz couldn’t be more pleased with Pfister’s decision to buy the business.
“She’s so energetic and so positive,” Matz said. “She’s a charming, wonderful person, and she seemed like the perfect match to get it off the ground.”
Pfister, whose focus is ceramic art, attended Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Maine and lived in California for about a decade. When she returned to Connecticut in 2022, she attended the University of Hartford and earned her post-baccalaureate degree, then became a phlebotomist. After that, she was a dental sculptor, using her skills to model teeth for orthodontists.
“I learned a lot about sculpting at that job,” she said. “I made teeth molds, basically, and it was a fast-paced job with fast turnaround. I’m methodical and intentional, so I did it well.”
Clay has always been a part of Pfister’s life, and the studio was an opportunity she couldn’t look away from, she said. She connected with Matz and the pottery studio and was invited to teach a class.
“I wanted to teach classes so I could see if I could take (the studio) over,” she said. “When I said yes, our landlord (Steve Temkin of Torrington Downtown Partners) gave me a break on the rent to help me get started.
“Susan comes here to work on the pottery wheels sometimes, and she’s also painting,” Pfister said, pointing to several vivid portraits by Matz on the walls of the studio.
Since reopening the studio, Pfister has held several “date nights” for adult couples, with wine and a clay project. “We do parties; family, bachelorette, other kinds of gatherings,” she said. “I want to do a family day and have the parents attend with their kids.”
Ashley Pfitzer is the new owner of Water Street Potters, at 39 Water St., Torrington. An artist and medical professional, Pfitzer is already offering classes for families and weekend “date nights” for adults, which include working with clay to make take-home projects. The pottery business first opened in 2019. (Emily M. Olson)
The community of Torrington, she said, isn’t always easy to read, so she’s trying different things and watching for the response.
“I have to figure out what people want to attend, and what they’ll invest in,” she said. On a work table, clay trivets and spoon rests shaped like ghosts and squares were painted by a recent group of guests.
“The thing is, clay projects aren’t a one-day thing, so if you sign up, you’re invested to come back and finish here,” Pfister said. “Paint your own is always fun for people, and if it’s a one-day class, they like that.”
She is also selling memberships, which allow use of the studio and its supplies and equipment, for a fee.
The studio offers open hours on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., for people who might need a little guidance as they work. Skilled potters can sign up for a time slot on their own.
Pfister makes many of her own glazes in a rainbow of colors, which her customers and members can use. She’s a part-time tilemaker at Bantam Tileworks in Bantam, and said that job allows her to “get back into” the arts.
“I feel so grateful – things are aligning,” she said.
To anyone who’s curious or interested in joining the studio, Pfister said, the doors are open.
Ashley Pfitzer is the new owner of Water Street Potters, at 39 Water St., Torrington. An artist and medical professional, Pfitzer is already offering classes for families and weekend “date nights” for adults, which include working with clay to make take-home projects. The pottery business first opened in 2019. (Emily M. Olson)
“Come by and shop or do an activity,” she said. “Be part of a new community.
“I want to create a vibe here for people, a community that they can be part of,” she said. “That will bring people in.”
For more about Water Street Potters, visit waterstreetpotters.com.
