(upbeat music) - Hi everyone, Steve Adubado.

If you've been watching one-on-one on a regular basis, you know that Jacqui Tricarico, that's Jacqui right there.

My co-anchor, colleague, down in Atlantic City for the New Jersey Education Association Convention.

You know, that we interviewed a whole range of folks, educators, keynote speakers, experts, all aspects of education.

Jacqui tee up this first interview that you conducted.

I did the second one with Larry Abrams, the executive director and founder of Book Smiles, but you did this first one with Dorrie.

- Yeah, Dorrie.

Dorrie Papademetriou, who is the founder and designer of MudGirls Studios.

So, MudGirls.

- MudGirls?

Hold on, did you say MudGirls Studio?

- MudGirls, yes.

So, this was the New Jersey Education Association's Charity of the Year that was highlighted at the convention this year.

They had a large booth set up selling their pottery.

What they are is a nonprofit organization right in Atlantic City where the convention is every year.

Dorrie started this nonprofit to help women underserved women, women who are at risk.

Give them a job opportunity to mix an income and use their hands to create art.

And they specialize in clay.

So, you'll see pictures and video of this, but beautiful display.

I actually, went and bought a couple of their pieces for Christmas gifts.

And let me tell you, when I gave those gifts, they were, what I gave was a mug.

I bought a mug, a Christmas mug and some ornaments.

When I gave those to some of my loved ones.

And it comes with a little description of where these came from.

- About MudGirls?

- Yeah, about MudGirls and who they are, really impactful, really great gift to give people and to help spread the word about this organization and the work that they're doing.

- You know what's really great is Jacqui and I, Jacqui's been working with us.

She's been a leader in an organization for, I don't know, 15 years.

She took a couple years off to raise two girls, which you're still doing.

But I'm curious about something.

We feature so many not-for-profit leaders, you know, and MudGirls is a not-for-profit, right?

- Yep.

- And the passion you see in people who lead not-for-profits.

They have to raise money, they have to build a team, they have to keep the team going, they have to through COVID whatever, all kinds of challenges.

What did you see in Dorrie that struck you or that strikes you as it relates to her being a terrific leader?

Because she is clearly.

- Yeah, and we talked a little bit about this in her interview, but she came from designing for some really high end,- - I saw that.

- galleries and folks and doing a lot of things, but she saw this niche.

She was into some, you know, nonprofit work, not her own, but some other things that she was working on.

But she saw this need in Atlantic City and she had this calling to want to help others.

And the work that she's doing there is really impactful and she's getting the word out by making sure other people within the community know about what she's doing.

And she gets referrals, and the women that she's helping, she's really making such a big difference in that community.

And as we know, Atlantic City, it is one of those cities in our state that is really suffering with poverty.

- That's right.

- And people having what they need and really on bad times there.

So, she's making a huge impact in Atlantic City.

And you can tell in this interview the passion that she has to give back.

- That's Jacqui teeing up this interview with Dorrie.

Let's check it out from Atlantic City.

- I'm Jacqui Tricarico on location at the NJEA Convention here in Atlantic City, and I'm so pleased to speak with Dorrie Papademetriou, who is the founder and designer of MudGirls Studios.

MudGirls is the charity this year that's being represented here at the convention.

First, describe to us what MudGirls is.

- MudGirls is a nonprofit clay studio that empowers women by bringing them, creating community, and teaching them how to create ceramicware.

In doing so, they learn basic life skills, and also, they earn an hourly wage, so it's a workforce training program.

- It's employment, really, for some women, and most of the women in your program, 10, now, that are employed by you, are at risk in some way or another.

- Yes.

- Describe that, and how you're - Yes.

- Finding these women and bringing them into what you're doing - Right.

- In your organization.

That's right here in Atlantic City where we are today.

- Yes, yes, yes.

MudGirls started with the idea that we all have a creative spirit, and many people are not given the opportunity to tap into that creative spirit, so we went out into the community, and we embraced women at risk, that is, women in poverty, so, many of them have mental illness, coming out of homelessness, many of them have addiction, perhaps they had been involved with criminal justice system, so those are the people who we're giving second chances to.

We're bringing them into the studio, we're giving them jobs, we're giving them wraparound services, social services, perhaps helping them with housing, perhaps helping them with childcare, and food security, so it's so much more than just a clay studio.

We make beautiful pottery, but we also build lives.

- It's really all about empowerment.

- Yes.

- Empowering these women to really lead a successful life.

Talk about how you came up with this idea.

You have a rich history in art and creating yourself, worked with many high-end companies and designers in your lifetime, how did this idea all come about for you?

- I wanted to do something that brought the joy of creating that I have, and I've experienced my whole life to others.

So, I said, how can I share what I love with people who have never experienced that?

So, I knew that people like clay, it's always fun to work and make something, and I believe that when you make something outside of yourself, you can, it validates your existence, right?

It's now something that you've made, and that's empowering.

It's empowering to just have something that validates you, so I knew it was a great idea.

I knew that people would love being in the studio and making, and people wanna be around people, it's about connection.

It's about connection, connecting with the material, it's connecting with other people, and then it's also pouring yourself into something.

So, not only does making bring you joy, I believe, but it is also healing, so that healing component is why we're bringing it to the population that is a little underserved.

- Underserved, definitely here in Atlantic City, that's for sure, and so many other urban areas in our state and our country.

Talk about how you've seen that reflected in the women that you work with.

Any firsthand stories that you could share with us, obviously, no names, that you've seen that's really impacted you to keep you going with the work that you're doing?

- Yeah, hmm, let's see.

Well, yeah, we've had a lot of success stories.

So, one woman came to us, she had been living under the boardwalk, and she was selling seashells that she had written on or painted on, on the boardwalk, and someone noticed that, and said, "Well, we're gonna bring her to MudGirls."

So, she came to MudGirls, we gave her a job, she was working with us, and then we connected her with one of the casinos, locally, and she was hired in full-time position, and then we also assisted her with an apartment, so then now, she's housed, so she's fully housed, fully employed, and that's someone who was living under the boardwalk, so if we can do that for women and people who are at risk in our community, I mean, that's what we strive to do.

We've helped people avoid eviction.

You know, we've helped, we've gone to court with people as advocates, so there are many ways that we've done that, and I have to say, we are a safety net, so a lot of women that come to our studio that are working with us, they don't have families, so they don't have anybody to share with, to guide them to make wise choices.

- A support system?

- A support system, so we're their support system, - Yeah.

- And that feels good.

- I'm sure, and you talked about collaborations a little bit within the community, some of the local casinos.

Talk about some of the other collaborations that have really been important to the work that you're doing, 'cause I know there's some organizations and companies right here in Atlantic City that you've been working with now?

- Right, well, we work with a couple of different... We work with social service agencies, too, for women to be referred to us, and those would be Covenant House, Jewish Family Services, Volunteers of America, those are how our women actually come to us, - Hear about you, and know that you exist, - And hear about us.

Correct.

- And this is an option.

- Correct.

In terms of work that we've been been doing in the community, which we're really, really proud of, we've worked with Stockton University to create tile murals in their institutions here in Atlantic City.

We've worked with AtlantiCare, and done a really beautiful tile installation there.

We have done a piece at Ocean Casino.

We recently did a piece for Resorts, and we have a very close relationship with Hard Rock as well, so, and now we're here at NJEA, - And now, yeah, new relationships.

(laughs) - Which is really wonderful, and that brings the educational component to what we do, because we do educate our women in many facets.

- Right, and NJEA kind of being a new partner of yours, them selecting you to be the charity of the convention, what does that mean?

And there was a special donation that was given to the organization on behalf of the NJEA, correct?

- Mm-hmm, yes.

We're tremendously honored to be the charity of the convention, which means to us, it opens up a whole new world.

We're a small organization, and NJEA is such a large organization, so to partner with them is really a great honor, and also, to be recognized by educators, and recognized that what we do matters, and given that opportunity to speak on a larger platform, I mean, those partnerships are key to small organizations that really lift them up, and so, if we were to together like that with partners who can lift us up, then we can lift others up, and that's what we're about.

So, we're just about building lives, and just as all the teachers do every day, that's what we do in the studio as well, and so, I think it's a great partnership, and we are extremely happy.

- And you have your table set up here, selling some of the things that the women are making.

Talk about some of the products that people can get, because I know they're available on your website as well.

- Yes.

- We'll put that up, so that if people are interested, they can... - Sure.

- Holidays are right around the corner, so I'm sure a lot of people are walking around, educators seeing the beautiful work that's done, and being able to pick some pieces up.

- Right, right, right.

So here, at the convention, we have all of our pottery, our tableware, all the pieces that we make in the studio, so we're a collaborative studio, and what that means is when you receive a piece, or when you purchase a piece, lots of hands have worked on that piece.

So, someone has rolled that clay, someone has formed that clay, someone has glazed that clay, so many, many hours, and many people's hands have worked that clay, and the great thing about that is the people that purchased that clay now are transformed.

Now, they understand who that maker is, and so now, that end user has a connection with the person who made it, so that's a beautiful thing for us.

We have beautiful ornaments, we have tableware, we have beautiful Christmas mugs, lots of gift giving, and what that does for us, if you give a gift to someone else, then they learn about us as well.

- Right.

- And people actually love gifts with meaning, so, to get something - Definitely.

(chuckles) - And receive something that has a special place in someone's heart is really a beautiful thing, so, it'll work.

- Yeah, spreading the word through that art is really - Spreading the word.

- Beautiful.

- Yes, it is very beautiful.

I mean, we strive really hard in the studio to do the best work we possibly can.

That's something that we talk about.

We talk about design, color, form, functionality.

We try and problem solve, and if something doesn't go right, if something isn't working, we kind of sit together, come together and work on that design, and to make it be the best we can be.

- That's wonderful, well, thank you for everything that you're doing, especially here in Atlantic City, in this community.

So important, the work that you're doing, and it's wonderful - Thank you.

- That the NJEA selected you and your organization - Yes, yes.

- To be represented here this year, so, congratulations on that, too.

- Thank you.

Thank you so much.

- (chuckles) Thanks so much.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Celebrating 30 years in public broadcasting.

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