ABOUT CORGI CLAY ART CENTER
Stafford’s Community Center for the Arts
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WHAT WE DO
Corgi Clay Art Center, first and foremost, values community. We do this through sharing space, materials, equipment, knowledge & supporting each other’s needs and endeavors that nurture the person as well as the profession. We welcome and support the diverse experiences each person brings. Corgi Clay Art Center is dedicated to education, creativity, and community engagement in a diverse and inclusive space for studio practice, exhibitions, personal growth, and professional development. Corgi Clay Art Center is a hub for ceramics enthusiasts but also offers a variety of art programs . Whether you are an experienced potter with years of experience, or a novice interested in trying a new craft, we have the facilities and instructors that will assist and encourage the young and old or the beginner to advanced. The overall goal of Corgi Clay Art Center is to inspire curiosity and discovery around the art and craft of clay, drawing together students, artists, and an engaged public into a welcoming community. Corgi Clay Art Center fosters and creates a customer-friendly environment that promotes, supports, and advances the arts through an assortment of programs, workshops, and classes for people of all ages.
WHO WE ARE
Corgi Clay Art Center is owned and operated by Debra Balestreri. Debra is a local artist, educator, and Virginia resident since 1989. Debra studied fine art and education at The University of Mary Washington where she earned her BA in Studio Art and her Virginia State Teaching License in 2003. In 2005 she received scholarship and was accepted into a very competitive low-residency Graduate Degree program at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she studied for three years, earning her MFA in Ceramic Sculpture and Post-Graduate Teaching License. In 2008 Debra joined the Workhouse Arts Center where she quickly worked her way through the ranks to become the Director of Visual Arts Education in 2010. In 2009 Debra began teaching as an adjunct alumna professor while also serving in her full-time career as Director of Visual Arts Education at the Workhouse. Debra has exhibited her art across the country in various national exhibitions and in 2020 Debra created her own Pottery brand and business known as Corgi Clay LLC.
