Help our Choplet Ceramics Studio!
Donation protected
Hello everyone.
Welcome to our GoFundMe page!
( #SmallBusinessRelief )
To get right to the point, we are reaching out to our community because the SBA Protection Paycheck Program and the Economic disaster loan available through the Cares Act, did not come through for us.
Choplet Ceramics Studio and Gallery has been part of the Williamsburg neighbor for 15 years. In that time, through sheer effort and drive, we were able to grow the business to support a staff of six, a tech team of 10, and a teaching staff of more than 15. Choplet Gallery has run 9 ceramic shows per year, helping bring awareness to the creative world of ceramics and its local artists. The space has been a place for students to learn, artists to express, conversations to happen.
Many Choplet Studio alumni are now well known successful clay artists and designers. People have met their life partners and best friends here, kids have grown up, people have come and gone and left their mark on the space and the people working here.
When this all started, we took the painful decision to close our doors a week before the government made it mandatory, wanting to keep our beloved community as safe as we could. As the situation progressed, we have worked very hard to get our members what they require to continue to make work from home and keep our community connected and engaged though our Instagram, live session interviews and demos with ceramic artists and designers. We have also been doing some clay deliveries, bisque firing, glaze firings and wheel rentals in an attempt to keep moving forward.
Going forward, we need your help for Choplet Ceramics Studio and their staff to make it though this incredibly difficult time for everyone.
As some of you have seen, from the beginning, we set up a Venmo account to raise funds directly geared to our teachers. Thanks to our incredible community, the fund has helped bridge the gap for our teachers until they could figure out how to get unemployment. But as many know, the system is overloaded with requests and moving slow.
When it comes to the studio and staff, we were counting on getting access to the SBA loans through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). Sadly, our bank, Santander, never made the PPP application available to their business customers online, so we got stuck. On top of that, other banks were only accepting applications from their already existing business customers. The SBA Emergency Disaster Loan for small businesses is depleted and the NYC small business loan never came through. We tried and failed.
We are now asking for your help.
Any help in spreading the word to people you may know and any financial donation people can make to help paying our rent, bills, staff and cash flow to maintain operations, would be greatly appreciated. No donation is too small....or too big.
We are determined to remain an intrinsic part of the creative fabric of North Brooklyn and can’t wait for the beautiful day we will reopen our doors. There has always been a drive to take care of people and preserve the studio, for members to continue to enjoy and learn and express. We intend to continue teaching, making and providing a space for that conversation and effort, for years to come.
We asked a few people alumni and present students, members, tech and instructors to share their experience at Choplet. Here they are:
Alison Goudreault
Choplet Ceramics is an essential creative gathering place that binds a
community together. It is like a therapy session and a social gathering and a loving family all in one. I have been coming here for the last 10 years. Nadeige and her staff have created something truly special. It is one of those places that brings people together in a city that can be hard with its hustle and rat race. You can come and leave your problems behind you, be present and mindful as you center a pot on the wheel or just feel the clay in your hands and see what you are capable of creating. You will meet people of all ages and backgrounds, you will learn techniques and craft, you will talk about pottery, art and ideas and life. To me this is what is essential for life you love.
Thank you Choplet Studio I look forward to more of our time together
Leena Muley
I have been a member of Choplet Ceramics Studio since January 2019, and from the beginning it was clear how special a studio like Choplet is. Choplet is a creative hub where New Yorkers of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles can go to learn, connect, and practice the craft of pottery. A spirit and enthusiasm for this art permeates through the wonderful staff at Choplet, and the guidance and support they provide has created a wonderful community for all who want to participate. Choplet offers a lovingly cared for space with incredible resources that allows people to explore and push their creative possibilities; from those who are looking for a creative hobby to broaden their horizons,
to both burgeoning and established ceramicists, the chance to start their own small businesses.
I cannot stress enough how important the Studio has become to me, and encourage everyone to support this incredible Studio so that it can continue to have its imprint on the creative world.
Fernanda Uribe
A beautiful gathering place for learning, friendships and growth, Choplet Ceramic studio is like home to many of us. The incredibly sweet staff has turned into family and after four years of working there I have realized I have left a piece of my heart. At Choplet, clay is not just a medium, it is a powerful symbol of bringing together amazing, talented people and creating a charming community. A little over a month of its closure, I miss the crew but above all, the energy that was in such a magical place.
Lois Gallagher:
Choplet is a wonder! A place to connect with a truly creative and caring
community... a place where people are fully supported as they explore their creative impulses - no matter where that might lead. I was a member for more years than I can remember and was privileged to witness its development into a core part of the local neighborhood.
Loretta Choi
As a New Yorker, architectural designer, outdoor enthusiast, and a ceramicist. Ceramics is part of my core identity. It's not just the therapeutic nature of pottery that keeps me coming back. It's the
community in Choplet that I cannot find anywhere else. In times when I was lost and anxious, I would find a renewed energy after late nights of ceramics at Choplet. Many nights there would be a bottle of wine, pastries, or even the beloved Rumi's Takoyaki pan to cook and catch up over pottery. Choplet fostered a space of creatives from diverse backgrounds ranging from journalist, sculptors, to healthcare workers. I find it to be a resource for personal and even career
advice, while playing with clay.
Space where you could find opportunities. Without prior teaching
experience, Nadeige believed in me and gave me the opportunity to teach private classes. Igniting my passion to help others through instructions such as volunteering for the disabled for the greater NY community.
I go to Choplet for the people.
COVID will change New York and the world, our world will be different but we do not have to lose our community. Small businesses make our community. Not Amazon. It's more critical that we support and retain our community. As we all know, on paper, it sounds like there's a support system, but that's a farce once we get into the weeds of it. Navigating in this COVID era is messy and complicated. Simple services as unemployment website is a shit show. Small businesses have their own hurdles. And we all need hope for normalcy for a
sense of stability. Please help keep mine and many other's communities alive when we all slowly return to normalcy.
Shannon Phipps
Choplet is special because it is a thriving community, bringing people from all walks of life and from all parts the world together. My first teacher at Choplet was an amazing artist from Iran! Daily folks are exchanging tips, experiences, and encouraging each other to create. Nadeige, the owner, is one of those rare people that is an accomplished artist with the ability create a flourishing ceramics community around her. At Choplet the staff are passionate about education and the art of ceramics. The creative energy manifested by these talented kind
people is infectious. My art practice is lens based, now I am absolutely hooked on clay. Choplet awakened me to the love of ceramics forever enriching my life!
Dominic Sparano
I worked at Choplet Ceramic Studio for 7 years. In that time I went from being a bartering technician to an instructor with multiple classes and working on large studio projects. The point being I grew up there, ceramics-wise. It was a better practical education than college and it is truly a special place that deserves your help. Nadeige, John and all the instructors are like family and now is the time to
support your family.
Damien Garcia
Someone said to me recently good things happen to good people.
I have spent close to fifteen years at Choplet, from a technician at the studio, to a teacher and more importantly a friend to Nadeige and John. From where I began, the studio grew from one, six person class, to more than I can say I know. There are over 400 members benefiting from Choplet.
Every week we all watched new voices and ideas flow, making everything from cups to sculptures. Students and friends have developed their career from marketing, finance, graphic design and many more career paths to ceramics. They found a new career they were inspired by. We watched this happen.
Artists and students were with the studio as long as Choplet has been here, spending their weekly tradition with us on any given day to learn and grow in a fantastic artistic environment. I have seen circumstances where passion finds balance as a career for many.
Nadeige and John were there for me as friends, more than the owners of this studio. Finding hours for me to work when there was not much happening, to inviting me for dinner when it was hard for me to start my journey, they were there. Personally, I would not have had true roots to grow in New York, if I had not been lucky enough to meet them. I met lifelong friends (too many to name here) and met my wife Limor at the studio, for me the greatest unexpected gift in all this, which I am thankful for each day. I was introduced to a community of great people who we share our life with. There have been many triumphs. Many compromises. Many sacrifices. It took will, guts, grace and all the individuals they brought together for Nadeige and
John to have made Choplet what it is.
These are unprecedented times. And I think we should pass on to good people, good things.
Natalia Todorova
I took my first pottery class 2 years ago and in Choplet Studio I found not only an inspirational design outlet but also a family. Throughout the years Choplet has built an amazing environment for creative minds and it's a great space to be surrounded by so many talented people expressing their ideas with clay. It is a community I'm proud and happy to be part of. It's part of me now and I hope I will always be.
Ian Privett
Choplet has been my creative home over the past year. The community created by the owners, teachers and students has been a massively positive influence on my practice and personal life alike. I’ve felt supported and encouraged along my journey with clay and I hope to return as soon as I can.
Marian Bull
Choplet was the first place, outside of an office, that I found true community in New York. Walking in the doors always felt like walking into an exciting, energetic world abuzz with good people who were making things, and who wanted to help you make things too. Calling something a group of people a family often rings cheesy, but being a part of the Choplet community makes me feel like i’m part of a scrappy, ragtag brood of artists and crafters and new yorkers whose energy feeds me, and feeds my work too.
#SmallBusinessRelief
Welcome to our GoFundMe page!
( #SmallBusinessRelief )
To get right to the point, we are reaching out to our community because the SBA Protection Paycheck Program and the Economic disaster loan available through the Cares Act, did not come through for us.
Choplet Ceramics Studio and Gallery has been part of the Williamsburg neighbor for 15 years. In that time, through sheer effort and drive, we were able to grow the business to support a staff of six, a tech team of 10, and a teaching staff of more than 15. Choplet Gallery has run 9 ceramic shows per year, helping bring awareness to the creative world of ceramics and its local artists. The space has been a place for students to learn, artists to express, conversations to happen.
Many Choplet Studio alumni are now well known successful clay artists and designers. People have met their life partners and best friends here, kids have grown up, people have come and gone and left their mark on the space and the people working here.
When this all started, we took the painful decision to close our doors a week before the government made it mandatory, wanting to keep our beloved community as safe as we could. As the situation progressed, we have worked very hard to get our members what they require to continue to make work from home and keep our community connected and engaged though our Instagram, live session interviews and demos with ceramic artists and designers. We have also been doing some clay deliveries, bisque firing, glaze firings and wheel rentals in an attempt to keep moving forward.
Going forward, we need your help for Choplet Ceramics Studio and their staff to make it though this incredibly difficult time for everyone.
As some of you have seen, from the beginning, we set up a Venmo account to raise funds directly geared to our teachers. Thanks to our incredible community, the fund has helped bridge the gap for our teachers until they could figure out how to get unemployment. But as many know, the system is overloaded with requests and moving slow.
When it comes to the studio and staff, we were counting on getting access to the SBA loans through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). Sadly, our bank, Santander, never made the PPP application available to their business customers online, so we got stuck. On top of that, other banks were only accepting applications from their already existing business customers. The SBA Emergency Disaster Loan for small businesses is depleted and the NYC small business loan never came through. We tried and failed.
We are now asking for your help.
Any help in spreading the word to people you may know and any financial donation people can make to help paying our rent, bills, staff and cash flow to maintain operations, would be greatly appreciated. No donation is too small....or too big.
We are determined to remain an intrinsic part of the creative fabric of North Brooklyn and can’t wait for the beautiful day we will reopen our doors. There has always been a drive to take care of people and preserve the studio, for members to continue to enjoy and learn and express. We intend to continue teaching, making and providing a space for that conversation and effort, for years to come.
We asked a few people alumni and present students, members, tech and instructors to share their experience at Choplet. Here they are:
Alison Goudreault
Choplet Ceramics is an essential creative gathering place that binds a
community together. It is like a therapy session and a social gathering and a loving family all in one. I have been coming here for the last 10 years. Nadeige and her staff have created something truly special. It is one of those places that brings people together in a city that can be hard with its hustle and rat race. You can come and leave your problems behind you, be present and mindful as you center a pot on the wheel or just feel the clay in your hands and see what you are capable of creating. You will meet people of all ages and backgrounds, you will learn techniques and craft, you will talk about pottery, art and ideas and life. To me this is what is essential for life you love.
Thank you Choplet Studio I look forward to more of our time together
Leena Muley
I have been a member of Choplet Ceramics Studio since January 2019, and from the beginning it was clear how special a studio like Choplet is. Choplet is a creative hub where New Yorkers of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles can go to learn, connect, and practice the craft of pottery. A spirit and enthusiasm for this art permeates through the wonderful staff at Choplet, and the guidance and support they provide has created a wonderful community for all who want to participate. Choplet offers a lovingly cared for space with incredible resources that allows people to explore and push their creative possibilities; from those who are looking for a creative hobby to broaden their horizons,
to both burgeoning and established ceramicists, the chance to start their own small businesses.
I cannot stress enough how important the Studio has become to me, and encourage everyone to support this incredible Studio so that it can continue to have its imprint on the creative world.
Fernanda Uribe
A beautiful gathering place for learning, friendships and growth, Choplet Ceramic studio is like home to many of us. The incredibly sweet staff has turned into family and after four years of working there I have realized I have left a piece of my heart. At Choplet, clay is not just a medium, it is a powerful symbol of bringing together amazing, talented people and creating a charming community. A little over a month of its closure, I miss the crew but above all, the energy that was in such a magical place.
Lois Gallagher:
Choplet is a wonder! A place to connect with a truly creative and caring
community... a place where people are fully supported as they explore their creative impulses - no matter where that might lead. I was a member for more years than I can remember and was privileged to witness its development into a core part of the local neighborhood.
Loretta Choi
As a New Yorker, architectural designer, outdoor enthusiast, and a ceramicist. Ceramics is part of my core identity. It's not just the therapeutic nature of pottery that keeps me coming back. It's the
community in Choplet that I cannot find anywhere else. In times when I was lost and anxious, I would find a renewed energy after late nights of ceramics at Choplet. Many nights there would be a bottle of wine, pastries, or even the beloved Rumi's Takoyaki pan to cook and catch up over pottery. Choplet fostered a space of creatives from diverse backgrounds ranging from journalist, sculptors, to healthcare workers. I find it to be a resource for personal and even career
advice, while playing with clay.
Space where you could find opportunities. Without prior teaching
experience, Nadeige believed in me and gave me the opportunity to teach private classes. Igniting my passion to help others through instructions such as volunteering for the disabled for the greater NY community.
I go to Choplet for the people.
COVID will change New York and the world, our world will be different but we do not have to lose our community. Small businesses make our community. Not Amazon. It's more critical that we support and retain our community. As we all know, on paper, it sounds like there's a support system, but that's a farce once we get into the weeds of it. Navigating in this COVID era is messy and complicated. Simple services as unemployment website is a shit show. Small businesses have their own hurdles. And we all need hope for normalcy for a
sense of stability. Please help keep mine and many other's communities alive when we all slowly return to normalcy.
Shannon Phipps
Choplet is special because it is a thriving community, bringing people from all walks of life and from all parts the world together. My first teacher at Choplet was an amazing artist from Iran! Daily folks are exchanging tips, experiences, and encouraging each other to create. Nadeige, the owner, is one of those rare people that is an accomplished artist with the ability create a flourishing ceramics community around her. At Choplet the staff are passionate about education and the art of ceramics. The creative energy manifested by these talented kind
people is infectious. My art practice is lens based, now I am absolutely hooked on clay. Choplet awakened me to the love of ceramics forever enriching my life!
Dominic Sparano
I worked at Choplet Ceramic Studio for 7 years. In that time I went from being a bartering technician to an instructor with multiple classes and working on large studio projects. The point being I grew up there, ceramics-wise. It was a better practical education than college and it is truly a special place that deserves your help. Nadeige, John and all the instructors are like family and now is the time to
support your family.
Damien Garcia
Someone said to me recently good things happen to good people.
I have spent close to fifteen years at Choplet, from a technician at the studio, to a teacher and more importantly a friend to Nadeige and John. From where I began, the studio grew from one, six person class, to more than I can say I know. There are over 400 members benefiting from Choplet.
Every week we all watched new voices and ideas flow, making everything from cups to sculptures. Students and friends have developed their career from marketing, finance, graphic design and many more career paths to ceramics. They found a new career they were inspired by. We watched this happen.
Artists and students were with the studio as long as Choplet has been here, spending their weekly tradition with us on any given day to learn and grow in a fantastic artistic environment. I have seen circumstances where passion finds balance as a career for many.
Nadeige and John were there for me as friends, more than the owners of this studio. Finding hours for me to work when there was not much happening, to inviting me for dinner when it was hard for me to start my journey, they were there. Personally, I would not have had true roots to grow in New York, if I had not been lucky enough to meet them. I met lifelong friends (too many to name here) and met my wife Limor at the studio, for me the greatest unexpected gift in all this, which I am thankful for each day. I was introduced to a community of great people who we share our life with. There have been many triumphs. Many compromises. Many sacrifices. It took will, guts, grace and all the individuals they brought together for Nadeige and
John to have made Choplet what it is.
These are unprecedented times. And I think we should pass on to good people, good things.
Natalia Todorova
I took my first pottery class 2 years ago and in Choplet Studio I found not only an inspirational design outlet but also a family. Throughout the years Choplet has built an amazing environment for creative minds and it's a great space to be surrounded by so many talented people expressing their ideas with clay. It is a community I'm proud and happy to be part of. It's part of me now and I hope I will always be.
Ian Privett
Choplet has been my creative home over the past year. The community created by the owners, teachers and students has been a massively positive influence on my practice and personal life alike. I’ve felt supported and encouraged along my journey with clay and I hope to return as soon as I can.
Marian Bull
Choplet was the first place, outside of an office, that I found true community in New York. Walking in the doors always felt like walking into an exciting, energetic world abuzz with good people who were making things, and who wanted to help you make things too. Calling something a group of people a family often rings cheesy, but being a part of the Choplet community makes me feel like i’m part of a scrappy, ragtag brood of artists and crafters and new yorkers whose energy feeds me, and feeds my work too.
#SmallBusinessRelief
Organizer and beneficiary
Michael Gundlach
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
Nadeige Choplet
Beneficiary
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