Harold had recently moved to the area when he learned that the Art Barn School of Art planned to expand beyond their traditional focus on two-dimensional art and needed someone who could help them set up a ceramics studio. With a background in ceramics and a desire to help, Harold volunteered.
“We wanted to create a community for people to work in clay,” Harold said. “Until we built this studio, there was little three-dimensional work done here.” The Art Barn inspires creativity across generations by providing an inclusive, nature-based space where artists of all skill levels can explore, experiment, and grow through the arts.
A 2017 Community Fund grant from PCCF helped launch the Art Barn’s ceramics studio. Since then, the studio has been flourishing. “The ceramics studio has opened the doors for us to engage with people in a new medium and in new ways, said Executive Director Amy Davis Navardauskas. “The program wasn’t there before—now it needs more space.”
“Anyone who wants to take a class here can, and anyone who takes a class will get something out of it,” Harold reflected. “Every class I teach, I learn something from my students. I get something out of it too.”
Your philanthropic support of the Porter County Community Foundation has helped the Art Barn to grow. Thank you for being a part of this important work to inspire creativity in our community.
