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We are dedicated to providing a safe, creative space where everyone is welcome to explore their artistic side.
Please read an update below from our owners on October 23rd, 2025.
Hello Saltstone Community!
Folks have been asking how we’re doing recently, so we wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update as we near the end of our 3rd year of ownership.
First, we absolutely love our jobs! We feel incredibly lucky to be able to spend our days in a creative space with such a wonderful community. We have a team of amazing staff members who have been with us since 2023 - and we would not be able to function without them. Our students, members, and staff surprise us constantly with their creativity and kindness. It’s truly wonderful to look forward to going to work everyday, and leave feeling fulfilled and happy from our community interactions.
However, it’s a really challenging time to run a small business. The demand for ceramics boomed after the pandemic in Seattle, but with rising costs of living, economic uncertainty, and the rapid increase in studios, class registrations are down across Seattle. Our once reliable source of income has decreased dramatically, and while we are adjusting by adding more classes, members and applying to grants, we haven’t been able to make up the difference. Change takes time - and while we have a solution in sight we are in need of financial support right now.
We’re doing our best to adjust, but we don’t have a lot of wiggle room in our budget to experiment with new things. The downside to being young business owners is that we don’t have a safety net, and we’re already operating on thin margins. Changes out of our control, like charging sales tax on services, are extra frustrating as it directly impacts our already decreased registrations, and our ability to predict our finances. Frankly, there’s no breathing room to take risks without directly impacting our ability to pay our staff and maintain operations.
So how are we doing? Our spirits are high but we are in a financially difficult position. We try our best to shield our staff and community from this hardship but recently there has been an outpouring of inquiry into how we’re “really” doing, and we felt that many of you would be more upset if we didn’t share that we are in need of support. Currently, we are projected to be about $3,000 short on our budget by the end of the year. We are already making efforts to combat this, but there is only so much we can do - which is why we are turning to our community.
Any support you can offer at this time would be incredible! Interact with us on social media (we just opened the call for Mug Madness 2026!), share our website with your communities, shop the gallery to directly support us and independent artists, take a class - and if you have the means and desire to donate directly, you can do so here.
Folks have also expressed interest in sponsoring class spots for students who need it, and we love that idea. If you would like to contribute to that fund, you can do so here. That money goes to a separate account, and we’ll work on a process for best distributing those funds.
We have been touched by the genuine love and concern you have shown us. We could not ask for a more supportive community as we navigate this tricky time. Seeing everyone in the studio is an absolute blessing and buoys our spirits when we are feeling low. Thank you so much for all the support!
*Please note, however, that we are technically a for-profit business, NOT a 501(c)3, and so any donations are not a tax write-off. We will pay b&o tax on any donations as well.
