Gualala Arts Workshop
Open Clay Studio
Instructor: Jan Maria Chiappa

Mondays & Wednesdays
10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Drop-In Open Enrollment

Members: $20/week or 6 weeks for $100
Non-members: $28/session

The Clay Studio offers a drop-in Open Studio facility for local artists and visitors, where they can learn how to make and decorate hand-built pottery items. Currently (June 2008), the Studio does not have pottery wheels available, though that is being planned. Start-up clay, tools and firing is included in the session prices, along with instruction from the Studio manager, Jan Maria Chiappa. Additional clay, glazes and tools may be ordered through the Studio for your personal use. Persons under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

More about the Studio Manager

Jan Maria Chiappa has had a long and varied career in both the arts and education. After completing her BFA, including time at the Chicago Art Institute, she traveled West and was a co-founder and curator of the first women's art gallery on the West Coast, "The First Majority" in Berkeley. She maintained a studio in Berkeley for many years producing fine art and functional craft pieces. Along the way, she has done graduate work in psychology and earned a Masters in scripture and ethics from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

Although her first love is painting and drawing, she has worked in many media including textiles, batik, etching and clay. She has taught art on all levels from preschool to graduate school. For the past several years she has been working in her clay studio in the Gualala area. She continues to draw, paint and work in textiles. For additional information, contact her at (707) 884-3825. Her website is www.pinnipedstudio.com.