Ceramics students from both Roger Williams University and Mount Hope High School came together on Monday, March 30th, to participate in a collaborative event aimed at raising funds for the Women’s Resource Center. The “Throw-a-thon” showcased the students’ skills while supporting a vital cause, as they worked to create handmade ceramics to sell for the benefit of those impacted by domestic violence.
Founded in 1977, the center has been a vital part of the Rhode Island community ever since. “The Women’s Resource Center is the only domestic violence resource organization serving the East Bay Community, and each year, over 1,200 people reach out to us for help,” explained Becky Knight, the office manager at The Newport Women’s Resource Center. “We provide a range of services including a 24/7 hotline, emergency shelter, transitional housing, court and law enforcement advocacy, mental health counseling, and support groups,” she continued. However, the center is currently facing a challenging period. “Unfortunately, 80% of our funding is at risk,” Knight noted. The funds raised by the students will directly support the Women’s Resource Center’s efforts to provide essential services to those affected by domestic violence in the community.
She emphasized that there are numerous ways people can get involved, such as making direct donations, following the center on social media, sharing its newsletter, and helping to spread the word.
Knight also shared a powerful message about the center’s role: “We’re here, and if you or someone you love is in an unsafe relationship, you can call our hotline. It’s not just for survivors, it’s for professionals, parents, teachers, friends—anybody can call. And that first call is probably the most impactful moment in someone’s journey. When someone validates your concerns, it gives you the courage to take that crucial first step towards leaving an abusive situation.”
Karri Sloat, a ceramics professor at RWU and an art teacher at Mount Hope High School, has been organizing the “Throw-a-thon” since 2000. Over the past 25 years, she has held the event about 20 times, with proceeds from the sales benefiting both the Rhode Island Food Bank and The Women’s Resource Center. Sloat’s inspiration for the event came from a national ceramics conference she attended, where a high school teacher gave a presentation on the Empty Bowls Project. The project involved artists creating bowls and donating them to organizations.
“They were talking about a throw-a-thon that they did in their classroom where she had a group of students work all day,” Sloat explained. “And I loved the idea, so I started the project at Mount Hope High School.”
Initially, the event was called “Soup Bowls to Go.” In its first iteration, students made bowls, and Sloat collaborated with the Family and Consumer Science department to make soup. The community could then come in, pick out a bowl, and select soup.
“The goal of Throw-a-thon is to produce as many dinnerware items or tableware items as possible in the afternoon,” Sloat continued. Once the items are completed, they need to be dried and fired. “Then the students that are here today are volunteering an additional 10 hours to glaze and decorate,” she explained.
There will be two opportunities to purchase the items made during the event: May 8th at the Muffin Exhibition and May 22nd at Mount Hope High School. “We are working towards our goal of $1,000,” Sloat shared.
Before the event, the Newport Women’s Resource Center visited Mount Hope High School and showed the students a 20-minute documentary featuring interviews with eight different domestic violence victims. “The students watched the documentary, and it was very moving and heartfelt,” Sloat said. “They explained in detail their situations and the difficult encounters they had, the difficulty that made them feel so trapped. And really the highlight is how the Women’s Resource Center supported them in a way—emotionally and financially.”
Sloat also expressed the importance of the students understanding the deeper meaning behind the event. “I felt it was important for the students to understand the ‘why’ of today,” she said. “You’ll see a lot of smiling faces. Everyone’s really happy. This is a lot of fun. There’s a lot of high energy here. But ultimately, the goal is to have our sale and give all of the proceeds to the Women’s Resource Center, which they indicated is especially important right now, as funding is being cut in today’s political environment.”
Sloat also acknowledged the involvement of her students and those from Roger Williams University. “As far as the Roger Williams students go, you have students here who are passionate about ceramics,” she explained. “They’re in the studio often. Denis and I have built strong relationships with these students, and today, they are role models for my students. They’re peer teaching, showing them how to throw on the wheel, how to trim, and supporting them as they learn this for the first time.”
Emma Holt, a senior at Mount Hope High School, has been taking ceramics classes since her sophomore year. She was one of the students who attended the talk with the Women’s Resource Center, where they learned about the different stories of women who sought help from the center.
“In the video we watched, they talked about their situations in depth and the kinds of domestic abuse they had each experienced separately,” Holt explained. “They also shared how the Women’s Resource Center really helped them through those difficult times when they didn’t think they would have another chance.”
Lou Depoy, another senior from Mount Hope High School, has taken two years of advanced ceramics. “We are hoping to make upwards of 100 pieces today but praying for more so that we can raise the most money possible,” Holt shared.
The Throw-a-thon brought students from both Mount Hope High School and Roger Williams University together, raising much-needed funds for the Women’s Resource Center. Thanks to the hard work of the volunteers, the event will help provide vital support to those affected by domestic violence.
