Cynthia Curtis
vase, and coral vase. Courtesy of the artist.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
— Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”
Tucked away at the edge of the woods in Pigeon Cove, Rockport, sits a little slice of heaven. Potter Cynthia Curtis has been teaching classes and sharing her cozy, bustling studio with students of all levels of experience for over 25 years.
Drawn to the potter’s wheel at Colby-Sawyer College, graduation had Curtis questioning how she could make a living as an artist. For security’s sake, she took a job in her hometown of Marblehead, MA, in retail, and quickly became district manager, with a focus on training—a skill she found she loved. This lead to work as a corporate management consultant, in the sales and marketing division. While successful at her job, Curtis knew something was missing.
On what turned out to be a serendipitous trip to Orcas Island in Washington state when one of her daughters was just an infant, Curtis visited a pottery studio in a setting that made her take emotional pause. Situated at the edge of the ocean, and nestled amongst protective pine trees, “the studio was so peaceful, everyone was happy, relaxed,” she recalls, “and I thought This. Is. It. I was overwhelmed, I teared up, and I knew that this was what I needed to do, must do.”
It was a pivotal happenstance, which shifted the course of her life. She took a leap of faith, and left the corporate world. Finding her home, not far from the ocean, and up close with the woods in Rockport, was one in a series of “cosmic moments,” Curtis shares with a bright smile, still tinged with the awe and gratitude for that moment in Washington. “My studio is a one room school-house, from beginner to advanced, where everyone works together, seeing and learning from one another. I built the studio, attached to my home, with modest assistance, and the whole transition was a leap of faith for sure.”
Another cosmic moment was meeting her studio manager, potter Allison Morrissey.
Morrissey grew up in Gloucester, and after college, returned home and worked in hospitality, the skills of which have made her excellent at her job. A creative at heart, with a love of oil painting, Morrissey longed for something to feed her soul. Over eight years ago, she saw a flyer for Curtis’s pottery classes, and became a student. At Curtis’s studio, Morrissey found the serenity, calm and inspiration that she had been looking for. Here was a community of creativity, laughter and encouragement.
The arrival of Covid ushered in a collective, heightened need for environments that felt therapeutic. “People were looking for a sense of community, a place to feel safe and heal,” Curtis notes. Her business took off and she knew she needed help in the studio. As the student base grew, so too did her friendship with Morrissey.
Curtis shares, “I knew Allison was meant to be more of a presence in the studio, and one day I spontaneously asked her to come work for me. It was the best decision I could make. She started part-time, while still taking classes, and now manages every aspect of the studio, which is a lot of work, and takes incredible organizational skills. She really is exceptional. She now teaches four of the six classes we offer, and I am incredibly grateful for her. And we have fun! We have a connection that just works, and I have tremendous respect for her. I knew she was meant to be here, collaborating with me, and also having her own time to create.”
At the cornerstone of the relationship is their mutual trust and respect for one another, and their strong friendship. This special energy is palpable in the studio, and clearly a major factor in why there are so many repeat students, both in classes, of which there are six per week, and participants in open studio, a sort of independent study for a select number of hours per week.
As Morrissey notes, “I love how well Cynthia and I get along. We work so well together, and I think our connection and how well we work together, and enjoy one another, and respect one another—it is very rare. We are close friends and colleagues, and this helps with how well things flow in the studio.”
Curtis adds, “When one of us is not here, it’s like it’s the others’ studio, and we have each one another’s backs. I have complete confidence in Allison. She is incredibly observant, loyal, and competent. The students love her. There is a feeling of joy here.”
“Together,” they both share, “we love knowing that we have helped people. There is a certain pride in caring about what other people experience here. Working in the studio with clay is healing and therapeutic, and this has a positive impact on everyone. There is no judgement here.”