By Hand

New Westerville studio

Uptown Art & Clay reinvents the paint & sip format with a pinch of childhood whimsy

What do garden gnomes, sushi dishes, and decorative jars all have in common?

Uptown Art & Clay, of course.

The exciting new Uptown spot— which officially opened its doors at the end of March 2022–provides a fun new riff on the ever-popular Paint & Sip format, allowing artistically-inclined individuals the chance to create their own, free-standing art pieces and functional sculptures, from ages six and up.

For owner Sylvana Whittaker, who was teaching painting before COVID-19 hit, it was the pandemic that pushed the longtime central Ohio artist to take a chance and go out on her own.

“Before the pandemic hit I started teaching painting at another studio, and wine and paint nights became an even bigger thing. I thought it was such a great idea for artists to make money, she said. After the pandemic, they closed down and I started thinking why don't I just do it myself, and why don't I do it with clay.”

To Whittaker, who was herself hooked on pottery three decades following a lecture about the ritual Japanese firing process of Raku, one of the best ways to engage potential new artists is by swapping out an ageold piece of ceramic gear: the pottery wheel.

Guests to Uptown Art & Clay participate in any number of “Create & Sip” events, which typically run for 2.5 hours, building any number of items— such as coiled bowls, bird feeders and platters—using just their hands.

According to Whittaker, this lessens the barriers to entry for beginners, and it also leads to the creation of objects she finds more expressive and interesting.

Today, one of Uptown Art & Clay’s most popular classes actually began as an offering for kids only, before being brought back by popular demand.

“I was doing a Spring Gnomes class for kids, but kept getting adults who wanted to make them, too,” she said. “And today it’s my most popular adult class.”

You can check out Whittaker’s eclectic class list—which offers events for all ages and occasions—on Uptown Art & Clay’s website, and purchase tickets for any of them. Classes typically start at $45.

Keep up with everything artrelated happening in Westerville by visiting the Arts Council of Westerville’s website here.

Interested in art? Check out these other Westerville galleries:

Miller & Fisher Galleries at Otterbein University (33 Collegeview Rd.; 27 S. Grove St.)

The Frank Museum of Art at Otterbein University (33 S. Vine St.)

David Myers Art Studio & Gallery (7 W. Main St.)

Daylight Artist Collective (9 E. College Ave.)