The Refinery, a community space

WALLA WALLA-While art has been a big part of her life, ceramics holds a special place in Jess Portas' heart. Opening her art studio on the edge of Downtown Walla Walla, she has combined a passion for art with her love for community

Growing up, she helped her mother with slip casting, a ceramics and pottery technique that is especially useful for shapes not made on a wheel.

Portas said she took a pottery class in college, which piqued her interest in the art form, but life does what it does best, and she had to take a break from learning. She lived in California before moving to England for a few years, where she said there wasn't really an opportunity to take pottery classes.

Once she moved to Walla Walla, Portas said that she was interested in taking a class at Walla Walla Community College, but the timing of the classes didn't line up with her schedule. This led her to attend an informal workshop with Walla Walla artist Mary Ann Duffy in her home studio.

"I really got hooked," Portas said. "I have done different forms of art for a while, and not just art- different crafts, which I have used as art mediums. I have done quilting, artistic crochet, and painting. I have always really wanted to love all of them, but nothing caught me quite like clay did."

The workshop led to private lessons with Duffy, who lent a ceramic wheel to Portas. Her mother gave Portas a kiln for a studio at home, and her dad helped with the wiring. Within six months, Portas went from struggling to move past the first step, called centering, to selling coffee mugs and small bowls on Etsy.

"I just sort of had all of these barriers eliminated for me," Portas said.

When people approached her showing interest in workshops, Portas decided to create a maker space accessible to new and experienced artists. She was in the right place at the right time to snag an empty building on South 2nd Avenue for her new business, The Refinery.

"If I had waited just a day, I don't think I would have this space," Portas said. "I'm very glad, and feel very lucky, to have this space."

Portas said that Kathryn Witherington, Executive Director of the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation, played an instrumental part in helping secure the space. Witherington also helped her develop the business and offered support throughout the process.

The Refinery is located at 205 S 2nd Avenue in Walla Walla. It is a space where she hopes to create a community where artists and makers can inspire, support, and even challenge each other.

It's a space where people can gather for workshops, test out different mediums to find something that captures them, like ceramics hooked Portas.

The studio will offer memberships with benefits, including 24/7 access to the studio, tools, storage, equipment, and discounts on workshops. Portas said that she was very excited for that part of the studio to come to life.

One of the things important to Portas is making art accessible to all, and she has set up a scholarship program for people who may not give it a try otherwise.

"My six-week classes are $350. Considering the number of pieces you make and how much it would cost if you bought them from somebody, that's pretty reasonable," Portas said. "But I am under no illusion that everyone can afford that. The real reason for this place is access, and I want art to be accessible to everybody. One of the things I really wanted to do was provide a scholarship program- not just for people who can't afford it, but for people who might otherwise not be comfortable trying a place like this. People who are part of marginalized groups, people who may have income barriers."

Members of the community, outside of the studio, are welcome to sponsor budding artists, in addition to the five scholarships Portas has already pledged for the year.

"I think that it is really important that the people who use this space are diverse," Portas said. "The more diversity you have, the better that everyone is. Bringing in all those different voices and experiences just makes everyone better. Not just in art, but in everything we do."

More information regarding scholarship opportunities can be found online at http://www.refineryww.com.

The Refinery had its grand opening over the weekend, and it has been full steam ahead ever since. On Tuesday, the Refinery hosted a three-hour basket weaving workshop, led by the owner of Fiber and Fuzz Studio.

A Home for the Holidays workshop, focusing on homemade ceramic gifts, kicks off on November 30. Ashley Trout, from Brook & Bull, will be featured in the November Wine & Clay workshop, sharing wines from the local cellar while guests get to create a hand-built creation. A two-hour workshop on November 28, led by Rikita Simons, will result in macrame plant holders.

Six local artists and makers, as well as Portas' work, is being highlighted at the shop. Understanding that not everyone can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on local paintings, she felt it was very important to offer art to everyone that is still local, still creates a connection with the piece, and is just as special.

"Everybody is an artist," Portas said. "Everything you make, even if you think it's terrible, it's never been made before, and it's coming from your creativity. I really believe that everyone can be an artist."