The Baldwin Gallery is a fitting space for this exhibition because of the educational aspect of the show. “The Clay Studio, 3^rd Floor, Students and Artists” is one of four different groups of exhibitions developed for the conference titled “From the Community.” These exhibits have been developed in support of the annual conference by individual artists, groups of artists, commercial galleries, non-profit and alternatives spaces, colleges and universities.

Founded in 1974 by five artists in need of workspace, The Clay Studio was envisioned as a steppingstone for students fresh out of art school, offering affordable studio space and shared equipment. Within a short time, however, Clay Studio artists consciously shifted the Studio's mission from an inward focus to an outward educational and community focus. It was the artists' intention to affirm the importance of the ceramic arts alongside other art forms, as well as to bring clay as an accessible, tactile medium to a broad range of people. Today the Studio's programs are geared toward promoting access to the ceramic arts, at all levels of interest and proficiency, from practicing professionals to disenfranchised children of the inner city to art enthusiasts, students and collectors. Its diverse programs, and the variety of communities it serves, distinguish the organization as both a community oriented art center and as a national and international focal point for ceramic arts.