AM Creative/The Studio, a haven for those who want to make art. Located in Elk City, on Rt. 66, this gem of a studio is run by Annie Mattox. Annie is a local gal, she graduated high school from Hammon; which is where she developed her love for pottery and all things artistic. “That’s where I first did ceramics, I made a little mask. I’ve actually had my after-school kids make masks too as a little throw back.” I asked her about what made her want to start a pottery studio, she said “I always knew I wanted to be an artist; it’s something that I enjoy. And growing up in this area, I wanted to provide a space for other young artists to kind of have a space to grow and learn.” She opened her first studio in 2022, a tiny space across from Walgreens, in Elk City. She knew very quickly the small space of the studio wasn’t going to work, she needed more room almost instantly. Annie stated “I started our first After School Art Program in the spring and I had 7 students. At my first adult workshop we had 10 people. It was a struggle to get everyone in there comfortably.”
I was one of the people that attended her first pottery workshop; I knew I was going to be hooked on pottery from then on, and that Annie had something really special going on. She moved spaces to accommodate her growing classes with a spot further down on Main where Carousel Connection used to be.
With much more wiggle room for her now two pottery wheels and 30+ students she was able to offer up even MORE fun stuff for Western Oklahoma. She moved one more time to 2615 Historic Rt. 66, on the east side of Elk City where the studio resides now.
“She has a way of making you feel like you are the best artist who ever lived and can do absolutely anything.” Said one of her adult students. “Her positive attitude and genuine joy for art is infectious.” This studio is her passion project, and it shows with how much time, care and dedication she puts into it. She wants to pass along her joy and love of art to the next generation with her After School Arts Program. Each semester is planned out to allow her students ample time to explore all different types of mediums. They’ll learn about oil painting, metal working, fiber arts, watercolor, and of course pottery.
When asked why she offers her students more than just ceramics, “I try to give kids options. Not everybody’s going to love pottery. Not everybody is going to love oil painting and connect with it. But there might be a kid who takes my class and decides they love working with metal which could lead to a career in welding. I don’t want these kids to think they can’t try a certain art because they’ve never been exposed to it.” Annie also said “I want to give them a safe space to try new things, and I just really love the idea of that.”
I asked her what her favorite adult class has been so far, and she said it was the first pinch pot pumpkin workshop. “I know I talk a lot of smack about the pumpkins, but my first workshop ever was making pumpkins. And thinking back about the first ever facebook post I put out and re-reading it a thousand times, it’s nice to look back and see how much I’ve grown as an individual and a studio. It’s like all the excitement is wrapped up in those little pumpkins.”
AM Creative/The Studio is the passion project of a very determined and strong willed woman. Annie has weathered the ups and downs of running her own business by herself in the years following COVID all the while balancing her home life with her two awesome kiddos. She overcomes, perseveres, and comes out triumphant in the face of setbacks. Annie is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I could easily go on and on about this lady, but I’ll just leave it at this: Taking her class is the highlight of my week. Every Wednesday evening it’s pottery for adults, I highly recommend it.
You can learn more about the when, where, and time of her events by checking out her Facebook page: AM Creative.
