In the Belmont Heights neighborhood of Long Beach, a new creative space is quietly (and intentionally) taking shape. Slow Matter Studio, the forthcoming clay and pottery studio from Eloise Wood, is preparing to open at 3934 E. 4th St. But before the wheels spin and kilns fire, Eloise is doing what so many independent creatives have had to do: throwing a party to get to the finish line.
On Saturday, Feb. 28, from 4PM to 10PM, Slow Matter will host a full-scale fundraiser party. It is stacked with some of the city’s best food and drinks purveyors. There’s pottery. Tattooing on site. Live music. Raffles. Games. And even the old-school art of raku firing—all to help raise the final funds needed to officially open the space.
Of course, the story is far more than one about a fundraiser for a pottery studio. It’s about being exemplary in your community, using your connections wisely, and—if I can be frank—showcasing that post-divorce life can be one where exes lift one another up.
Slow Matter was birthed out of taking things—including heartbreak—slowly.
One of the most important aspects of Eloise’s story is that it feels refreshingly human. She has spent the last decade working alongside Clay at his Downtown Long Beach shop, Clay on First, who is now her ex.
“I worked by him for the better part of a decade. Nearly on the daily. And our story is a wild one: Besties turned lovers… Turned divorcées,” Eloise said, laughing. “It wasn’t always easy. No. But we are best friends still. We have a wonderful child together. And Clay is very supportive of the studio—something I’m genuinely, eternally grateful for. It’s something many divorced people can’t say but I can: I couldn’t do it without him. He basically put together this entire party for me.”
In a cultural moment where divorce is often framed in terms of fracture, theirs offers a quieter counterpoint. Clay has been more than supportive in spirit — he’s physically helped build out the new space, including tackling electrical work. Their lives, still connected through art and parenthood, remain intertwined without resentment. It’s a reminder that creative communities — and families — don’t have to disintegrate when relationships evolve. Sometimes, they simply reshape.
And perhaps that’s the most poetic part of Slow Matter Studio: clay, after all, is shaped by pressure, time, heat — and patience.
Wood is betting that Long Beach will show up for that process. If the turnout matches the spirit behind it, Slow Matter Studio won’t just open its doors — it will open as exactly what Belmont Heights needs: a place to slow down, get your hands dirty, and build something together.
The name—Slow Matter Studio—makes sense when you get to work with clay and know Eloise.
If you ask Eloise, the name alone explains everything. And it manages to exude
“I wanted a name that wasn’t obviously about clay, so it could be branded well and non-potters could appreciate it as well,” Eloise said. “But ‘slow matter’ is pretty literal: the process is slow. And the matter is clay. Overall, it’s just about slowing down, enjoying the process—whatever may come—and connecting. Connecting with the material. Connecting with the community.”
For those who have been blessed to work with clay, the tangible artform becomes all the more peaceful in our ever-present, two-screen digital world. It acts as a perfect metaphor, really. And that philosophy—of slowing down, of presence, of connection—feels especially resonant in Belmont Heights, the neighborhood she now calls home for the studio.
“Belmont Heights is seriously the perfect neighborhood,” Eloise said. “I feel like I lucked out big time finding this space. I’m obviously getting started with pottery classes and memberships, but my long-term goal is just to be involved in lots of community events. Art markets. Non-pottery events, like my low-cost monthly craft club. A space for people to simply hang out—a community hub if you will.”
The fundraiser is, in many ways, a preview of Eloise’s vision—and it is stacked with some of Long Beach’s best food and drink vendors
There’s a harsh reality to the calming, poetic world of working with clay: It’s expensive, particularly the equipment. Hence: fundraiser. And that lineup? It reads like a love letter to Long Beach’s independent creative scene, each contributing 25% of their sales directly to the studio’s opening costs.
Food:
- Got Your Back
- Loquat Oysters
- Three Pigs
- Fong’s Illegal Bageldogs
- Brown Butter Boys
- Loverboy Provisions
- Buttercream
On the drinks side, Sherwood Souzankari of Midnight Oil will be pouring.
Artists participating include:
- Shatina Turian
- Sable Craft
- Sedona Ceramics
- Emma Does Clay
- Mud Relics
- Melodic Ceramics
- Art by Suri
- Alfalfa Pup
Tattooing will be offered by Scraped Knee, and Karpinsk will be spinning music throughout the evening.
Slow Matter Studio is located at 3934 E. 4th St. Their fundraiser will take place on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 4PM to 10PM.
