At Atlantic City’s MudGirls Studios, Dorrie Papadimitriou gives women a fresh start through clay and employment

Six years ago, Eleanor was in recovery from addiction and looking for stability when she found MudGirls Studios in Atlantic City. Dorrie Papademetriou gave her a chance. Dorrie actually gave me my first job getting back on my feet, Eleanor said. Eventually, Eleanor needed full-time employment and moved on. But she never forgot MudGirls — or how much she enjoyed creating art there. Years later, when she found herself between jobs, Papademetriou opened the door again. Eleanor first started working with MudGirls Studio six years ago, but stayed in touch. She recently rejoined the team. (Credit: Cherri Gregg) She s like, You want to come in and work for a while?' Eleanor recalled. I m like, Yeah, I d love to, because I love art and I make stuff at home, so this is my jam.' That open door is at the heart of what Papademetriou has spent the past decade building. We didn t create the studio to make ceramics. We created the studio to help people, Papademetriou said. More than clay M