A little about the Owner….
I was born in Washington, DC and grew up in Maryland. I received my bachelors in Education and Art. After returning to the area from Seattle in 2000 I started working at pottery studio, then called Made By You. In 2004, I bought the store, changed the name to All Fired Up and made it my own. Since 2004, we have brought a creative and fun vibe for kids and adults to gather and be together. It was always my vision for the studio to be relaxing, inspirational, and supportive.
In 2006, I started volunteering and donating pottery painting events to the wounded soldiers at the former Walter Reed (on Georgia Ave.) Every month we would visit our troops to paint and it was one of the most powerful experiences. They would express so much gratitude for the experience and share that the process of painting was just as beneficial as their occupational therapies. We visited them for 8 years. Part way through we pivoted to visit the Navel Hospital to provide pottery painting for Traumatic Brain Injury patients. Due to security issues of us getting into the building I had to end our project there. This was also a very impactful experience and it solidified the importance of painting and how the process can heal people on physical and emotional levels.
Our goal is for people who visit us to have a great experience. For folks to be able to unwind either on their own or with friends through the magic of making art. Talking with you and learning where you are from or learning what projects you are making in the studio is exciting for me. I love the energy that art brings. I always say, “it might be crazy out there in the world, but in the studio, within our walls is our safe place” Where you can be you and express whatever you want!
Growing up in the DC area gave me opportunities to visit the museums and be surrounded by the arts on different levels. The Renwick, The Portrait Gallery, and the Hirschhorn are just a few of my favorite places to visit. Now, I bring my daughter to these places.
If you can make it to the studio to try us out, Thank you! Our customers are everything.
Liz Winchell
Owner