In a sun-filled studio on 18th Street in Pilsen, a group of military veterans sit at pottery wheels, their hands coated in wet clay, their faces showing an unfamiliar expression: peace. Barro Collective, a ceramics studio and nonprofit founded by Marine veteran turned artist Elena Vásquez, offers free weekly ceramics workshops specifically designed for veterans dealing with PTSD, anxiety, and the difficult transition back to civilian life.
Vásquez, who served two tours in Afghanistan before earning her MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, discovered the therapeutic power of clay during her own recovery. "When your hands are on the wheel, there's no room for the noise in your head," she says. "You're just present. You're just making something."
The program, called "Hands to Earth," has served over 200 veterans since launching in 2024. Participants attend eight-week cycles of workshops covering hand-building, wheel throwing, and glazing techniques. But the real work, Vásquez says, happens in the conversations that flow naturally while hands are busy.
Dr. Sarah Kim, a clinical psychologist at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center who refers patients to the program, has observed remarkable results. "We've seen measurable reductions in anxiety and depression scores among participants," she reports. "There's something about the tactile, rhythmic nature of ceramics that activates parts of the brain associated with calm and focus."
The studio's annual exhibition and sale, held at the National Museum of Mexican Art down the street, showcases veterans' work alongside Pilsen's established ceramic artists. Last year's event raised $45,000, enough to fund the program for an entire year.
Army veteran Marcus Torres, who started at Barro Collective after struggling for years, now volunteers as a teaching assistant. "I came in broken," he says, holding a bowl he made — simple, slightly lopsided, glazed in deep blue. "Elena didn't try to fix me. She just handed me some clay and said, 'Make something.' That changed everything."
Vásquez is currently training facilitators to bring the Hands to Earth model to VA centers in Milwaukee, Detroit, and Indianapolis. "Clay is patient," she says. "It waits for you. That's what healing needs — patience."