Andrea Simmons

Andrea Simmons's passion for the arts is a story with its roots in the Ojai valley of California. The early 1980s marked the beginning of her budding interest in ceramics, but it wasn’t until 1990 that she began to take more seriously the craft that she had only dabbled in before.

What could cause a person to become engaged? For Andrea it was 10 years of being immersed in the advice of several prominent artists: Beatrice Wood, who made famous the luster glazes Andrea went on to pursue, Vivika and Otto Heino, potters who began the luster glaze formulas and eventually gifted them to Andrea after Beatrice Wood's death at the age of 104, Al Strukus, and James Hubbell, sculptor and designer. Andrea made a film “You are the Miracle,” which reflects all of the sage advise from these five prominent Ojai artists. With all of this inspiration underway, she enrolled in an evening class at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles with a ceramic instructor who had once been a protégé of Vivica Heino. Ultimately it was the luster glaze techniques that Andrea wanted dearly to grasp, and no matter how dedicated she was in her night classes she didn’t feel she was being given any real direction from the instructor. Andrea finally decided to make a stab at creating her first batch of pots using the notes she’d been given by Vivica, and using the formula for luster glazes. The experience was crushing: they came out of the kiln slate gray, with none of the vivid, iridescent, and transparent qualities the luster glaze should produce. She soon learned she not only used the wrong type of kiln – electric – she had also fired them at the wrong temperature.

She made a phone call to Ojai, and found the advice she was looking for: put them all back into the kiln and do the entire firing over again; don’t add anything, and start the reductions process 50 degrees cooler. They came out beautifully, and she was onto something she had only dreamed about. She now had new fuel to keep going.

Ten years later she’s managed to experience much of what the luster glazes have to offer. And, when asked if she feels that she’s mastered the process, she’s quick to say – “ no, it’s a continual process.” Since then she’s shown in a dozen galleries across the country and has recently decided to show her work locally. Several years after her breakthrough with the luster glazes, Andrea bought a home on San Juan Island and remodeled it with the help of James Hubble who has a flair much like that of Spanish architect Gaudi. Her new home and ceramic studio became a model of art and the display of art. In her new home she immersed herself in what she loves: art.

It was during the time of her home remodel that she became better acquainted with her new community in the San Juan Islands, and also keenly aware of the large ceramic art community within the islands. It was then that she became inspired to launch a national level juried show for ceramic artists, “From Mud to Magic,” with its first exhibit scheduled for 2002. The show was a success, so much so that the advice given by jurors Jamie Walker and Peter Wolf was for Andrea to create a larger show by adding other mediums such as glass and painting.

Feeling inspired, Andrea went to the San Juan Community Theater to make a proposal to display the exhibit in their location. The show would be scheduled for every two years, and they said there was no way they could promise such a large area every two years. It was then that Andrea discovered there really was no place to display the shows. It was during a discussion with George Johnson that he said: “you need a museum!” And from that moment Andrea has been in hot pursuit of a dream and a vision: to see a dedicated space on San Juan Island where local juried art and other shows can displayed. The project itself has undergone its growing pains, but Andrea keeps it moving. Just recently a website has been launched to educate the public about the project and its progress. You can find out more by visiting The Visual Arts Museum of the San Juans webpage at www.vamsanjuans.org.

Andrea also tossed around the idea of opening a gallery in Friday Harbor. She decided against a gallery in town, and instead established a gallery in her own home in 2005 calling it “Dimensions.” It is an invitational gallery for local artists, and includes interesting discussions with community leaders, and schedules four to five events a year. The next upcoming show is scheduled in November. The From Mud to Magic Exhibit can be viewed at the San Juan Community Theater during the month of September. For more information visit www.sanjuanartists.com.

Tori Williams is a web designer who also writes and produces the San Juan Islands’ Artist Community website, www.SanJuanArtistCommunity.com.