“After moving to St. Petersburg in 1975, the first thing I did as an artist was join the Arts Center. Instant art connection, instant art community. I always enjoyed participating in the AC annual member show. “Years later I took another class because I was stuck creatively and was grieving the loss of my father. Art and community worked wonders and I was encouraged to become involved in building the Arts Center clay program and in finding ways to grow the organization. I joined the Board of Directors as an artist member acting as Secretary for five years. The artists, visiting professionals and volunteers from the community associated with the Arts Center were an amazing group of committed and talented individuals. My experiences there were challenging, invaluable, inspiring and have provided lifelong relationships. Over the years, I have watched the Arts Center’s contributions to the city and community at large grow and bloom into a vibrant part of an amazing art scene. ”