Art classes for veterans can be a therapeutic outlet for expressing emotions that might be difficult to verbalize. Photo courtesy of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture (YSAC) is offering again free art classes for veterans and active-duty military. The “Ceramics for Veterans – With Just a Hundred Pounds of Clay” project is a yearlong program, which will include basic hand building ceramics classes, wheel throwing and related lectures, gallery shows and sales.

The first eight-week session of classes will be held in the Gallery at Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture, 624 E St., Marysville. Classes will be held once a week starting on Thursday, Jan. 9 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The final class will be on Feb. 27. 

The second session begins on March 6. The classes are free of charge for veterans, active-duty military and their families. Additional classes will be offered over the next year, along with a series of offsite, ancillary wheel throwing classes.

Roger Schultz works on a bowl during a Ceramics for Veterans class. Photo courtesy of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture

Veterans are invited to be a part of these workshops and related events. They will learn the basics of working with clay and hand-building techniques, giving them a powerful creative outlet. Ceramics improve fine motor skills, concentration and problem-solving.  Participants will leave with a sense of accomplishment and finished projects. 

Classes will be led by well-known Northern California ceramic artists, Amy Davis and U.S. Army Combat Veteran Jason Lewis.

Davis’ instructors in her early career included Glenn Husted at Yuba College where she studied traditional Asian ceramics and wood firing and Dick Hotchkiss at Sierra College. Lewis is a former student of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture’s Ceramic Artist in Residence, Navy Veteran Drew Sallee, who is also a retired Sutter Union High School ceramics teacher.

Art classes for veterans provide a therapeutic outlet for expressing emotions and experiences that might be difficult to verbalize. Many veterans face challenges such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression, and creative activities such as ceramics and other art forms can offer a sense of relief and healing. These classes foster a supportive environment and a sense of community, where veterans can connect with others who share similar experiences, promoting camaraderie and reducing isolation. Overall, these programs support emotional well-being and help veterans with newfound skills and confidence.

Classes are in eight-week sessions, one beginning in January. Photo courtesy of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture

“The simple act of taking a piece of clay and focusing on transforming it into something beautiful and/or functional has real value for the creator,” said Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture executive director David Read. “The veterans and other students leave class with a sense of accomplishment and beautiful finished projects.”

This series of Ceramics for Veterans classes is funded by Sutter Yuba Behavioral Health.

This program is open to all veterans and their families in Sutter and Yuba Counties at no cost.  Pre-register at yubasutterarts.org. For more information,( call 530-742-2787.