About

All Fired Up has been dishing it out to Richmond since 1996!

There are two very important stories to tell about the legacy of All Fired Up. One is our origin story that begins with co-founders Meg Hargrave and Cindy Wofford, two Fan moms whose children went to Fox Elementary. Meg, a degreed art major, had always declared that one day she would have a shop of her own. Cindy, remembering that while on a trip across the country in Seattle, came across a paint-your-own ceramics studio and knew she had to share this idea with Meg. With very few PYOP’s on the East Coast, they decided to open Richmond’s Original Paint Your Own Pottery Studio in 1996, and for what they’ve contributed to Richmond, we can all be thankful they were open to the adventure!

The next is the second pin point on the timeline in All Fired Up’s history. In 2008, Amy Talley, who was very familiar and frequented All Fired Up as a child and through her time as a graduate at VCU, was at a girl’s night out when she noticed a for sale sign on the door. With prayer and petition, she and her husband decided that God was calling her to step out in faith to purchase the shop. She opened another studio in 2010 (formerly the Midlothian Studio) and then in 2012 the Short Pump All Fired Up opened in West Broad Village. Amy always led with her grace and faith as the shop owner.

That leads us to this continuance and current pin point in the timeline. In 2011, Diana O’Connor had graduated with her degree in art from Radford University, and knew she wanted a job that meshed her love of art and people, but just didn’t know what or how. (She knew she could not be stuck in a dark office, even if it paid more!) In June of that year, one of her friends let her know about a pottery shop that was hiring, so Diana decided to apply. She was hired and jumped right in with excitement.

One aspect she really enjoyed was that this job allowed her to create a space for people to unplug and be face to face with each other. Diana also loved teaching children and adults how to grow their confidence in creating something beautiful, and knew this was the right fit for her. Fast forward 10 years of hard work and dedication, and in 2021 Amy asked Diana if she would ever consider taking over the shop.

Under prayerful consideration, Diana decided that this was her calling and in January of 2022 she took over as owner/operator. Diana never imagined herself as a business owner, but after the first couple of years, she can’t imagine she would want to be or do anything else!

FAQs

  • No! We are the only All Fired Up in the Metro Richmond area

  • All firing will take 7-10 days to turn around depending on the medium (pottery, glass or clay) you choose.

  • Prices range depending on the size and intricacy of the pieces. We like to say a good price range is $20-$40, but there are many pieces under $20 and over $40.

  • We HIGHLY suggest a reservation, especially on Friday, Saturday or Sunday (or when schools are out!), however, we always accept walk-ins when we have an available table!

  • We believe that everyone is creative, so even if you don't believe you are, we will walk you through all of our processes to make it simple and fun!