Mirror photo by Patt Keith /
Patton native Emily Nagle, visiting home from Abilene, Texas, participated in a glass on glass class at L.a. Studio.
PATTON — A new art studio, L.a. Studio, is creating community as well as art in the former St. Mary’s School.
L.a. Studio offers a variety of classes to area residents and hosts artists-in-residence who come from throughout the United States and abroad. Some visiting artists also conduct workshops, but most have been offered by local artists, including artist Marian Ross of Carrolltown.
Class participants create a finished project in two hours. The artist/teacher presents the overall art concept, but participants work independently and express their own creativity.
Ross makes glass on glass art — where broken glass shards of various hues and shapes are glued into a glass frame. Acrylic is poured over the design off-site and participants pick up the completed pieces a week later. Based on the activity, Ross takes thrifted vases and bottles and breaks them at home using a dirt tamper. She then uses glass cutters to further shape the pieces.
On Tuesday, six community members were joined by three newly arrived artists-in-residence to create a glass on glass sunflower. It offers the artists a chance to connect with community members, said co-owner Kate LaSota.
Diane Gobble of Flinton likes the emphasis on individual expression offered in the classes.
“There really is no right or wrong and that’s what I like about it.”
Frequent participant Paula Albright of Patton has attended half of the 20 classes offered since September and said, “It’s a way to experience new art. I think it’s wonderful. Everything we have made is just gorgeous.”
For Debbie Moore, who recently moved to Carrolltown, the art classes offer an opportunity to meet people.
Abby Malloy of Northern Cambria attended class with her mother, Nadine Clarke, also of Northern Cambria.
“I’ve never worked with glass before so it’s something different,” Malloy said. “And, it’s repurposing.”
Her insight drew “oohs” and “aahs” of agreement from the other participants.
“That’s the beauty of this — to see all of the different flowers that come about,” Ross explained. “Everybody comes up with something different and that’s the beauty of this. We all start with the same process, the same pieces but everything comes out differently and it’s their own. They leave and can be proud that they’ve created something.”
Upcoming classes include pottery making techniques and June features Pride month themes: rock painting, floral art on a canvas bag and more glass art with Ross. Fees for classes range from $35 to $50 and include all materials to make a project.
The classes are part of L.a. Studio’s outreach efforts and is a family enterprise undertaken by the LaSota family. Patton residents David and his wife, Kate, are the onsite proprietors, while daughter, Hannah Warren LaSota, and son, Elijah LaSota, provide ideas and social media, marketing and website support.
For all, art has been a continual exploration as they pursued full-time careers. David is a civil engineer who has a national reputation for designing tennis facilities. Kate is a retired elementary school teacher; Warren, a NYC architect, and Elijah, a newly graduated medical doctor who starts his residency in Miami in July.
The LaSotas purchased the former St. Mary’s School in 2004 and have spent the last 20 years rehabilitating the building. They created two, two-bedroom apartment suites upstairs, which house the visiting artists.
The art facilities include a wood shop, stained glass equipment, two kilns, three throwing wheels, 3D printer and open work spaces. While originally created for the family and their friends to explore various modalities, Warren suggested they begin an art outreach effort that includes the community classes as well as an artist-in-residence program in April in 2023. Within four months, the studio was up and running. In its first 10 months, Art14 Residency has hosted 22 artists from the United States, Canada, Bangladesh, Russia and Sweden. The program’s capacity is four artists at one time. Artists stay a minimum of two weeks and pay a weekly rental fee. Scholarships are available for artists in need.
The artists practice a variety of modalities: paper making, glass blowing, ceramics, sculpture and photography. They’ve also hosted visual artists, a musician/composer, a poet and an actor/writer.
“The community has been very welcoming of the artists,” Kate LaSota said.
For more information about the artist in residence program and public classes, visit www.lastudio.org.
