West Allis may be known more for its industry than its art community, but entrepreneurs like Colleen Volland are hoping to change that perception.

With a loan through the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Center (WWBIC), Volland was able to open Cream City Clay, 7105 W. Greenfield Ave., in 2015.

“I had a background in art education, and from the time I got done as a teacher, I wanted to open a pottery studio,” she said. Volland, who holds a master’s degree in ceramics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said her plan was to offer both a gathering place for potters, as well as a space to work, as art students who graduate often lack these. “You miss that camaraderie,” Volland noted.