WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (KDVR) — As youth gun violence has been in the spotlight, many teachers and parents have taken it upon themselves to speak out. 

Now, one local business owner is using his talents to pay it forward.

Out of Step Clay is an art studio that was founded just a year ago. For their anniversary, the owner, Joshua Margolis, wanted to use his medium to send a message.  

“The most important thing for me in this space is about creating a community that can support one another. That’s huge. So when people come into the studio, they all want to learn how to work with clay, and I tell them that I don’t care about clay. I care about creating a space where we can find commonalities, maybe with people that we normally wouldn’t lead to develop and facilitate relationships, and then we can have a positive impact on our lives and the lives outside of these walls,” Margolis said. 

He teaches adult and kids clay molding workshops.  

Every time he’s demonstrated a piece to his class, he has carved a phrase – “Fire pots, not guns.”

This was his response to recent gun violence and mass shootings. He said creativity offers a way to cope with chaos.   

“It’s just taxing for everybody whether we’re directly connected or not. I feel like just as a community, we care and we should be trying to do something besides just sitting back and expecting other people to take the initiative. So this is my one way of trying to activate the community that’s here to be proactive,” said Margolis.  

This Saturday, April 22, from 4-9 p.m. Out of Step Clay is having an anniversary fundraiser where all of the proceeds will go to the Colorado chapter of Moms Demand Action. 

The pieces sold for the cause are between $20 and $145.  

“Just opening their minds to engaging with something that maybe they don’t agree with, and finding a new perspective and finding a new hobby,” Margolis said.