Maker House Marks Five Years, Announces Leadership Transition
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Goleta, CA – Maker House, founded by Lynda Weinman and Patrick Hall as an exceptional center for the creative arts, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year by welcoming a new board of directors.
Installed in January 2025, the new leadership comprises active members of the Maker House community: Yvonne DeGraw, President; Rachel Hammond, Vice President; Elizabeth Guffey, Secretary; and Melissa Cunningham, Treasurer.
Weinman expresses confidence in the incoming team to deliver on the studio’s vision and ensure future sustainability. “It has been an honor to help establish this great organization. The incoming board of directors will focus on making ceramic arts more broadly accessible and responsive to the interests and aspirations of the emerging and established artists who make up our creative community,” said Weinman.
Incoming president Yvonne DeGraw adds, “I’m deeply grateful to Lynda for her visionary leadership. Moving forward, we plan to uphold the studio’s mission as an inclusive and vibrant ceramic art center—one that promotes creativity, exploration, innovation and self-expression to support artists at every level.”
Maker House, noted regionally and nationally for its exhibitions, lectures and visiting artist residencies, provides services for over 500 students in wheel throwing, hand-building and other clay arts. Its membership of over 75 potters spans a diverse, intergenerational group with all levels of experience.
Outreach to the community has led to partnerships with UCSB students, local elementary schools and regional organizations using clay as part of team building programs.
Maker House supports innovation, such as 3-D printing in clay and plastics, providing space, expertise and equipment inside a supportive community.
More about the incoming board of directors:
- Yvonne DeGraw, a technical writer and small business owner for 30 years, is an Associate Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) and has served as founding president of the STC’s Santa Barbara chapter. She has served on many boards including the Goleta Union School District and the Science & Engineering Council of Santa Barbara.
- Rachel Hammond, head of sales and customer success for InPractice, a local tech start up, brings 18 years of revenue generation, team building and leadership to her work, which involves scaling high-producing teams focused on a high-morale culture. Rachel is also a CASA (court appointed special advocate) and small business consultant.
- Elizabeth Guffey, has been an historian, theorist and critic of art, craft and design for more than 30 years. Dedicated to finding more public platforms for design and designers to effect social and cultural change, she has written on craft, design, disability and art for a variety of publications, including The New York Times and The Nation.
- Melissa Cunningham works for Cycling Without Age Santa Barbara, part of a worldwide movement that aims to provide joy and vitality to older adults through the magic of a bicycle. She was previously executive director at COAST and director of Strategic Initiatives at MOVE SB County. She has worked with many nonprofits both as a board member and executive director in Colorado and Santa Barbara.
- Marsha Bailey, former Clay Studio Board Chair, will act as special advisor to the board. As the founder and CEO Emerita of Women’s Economic Ventures, she has over 30 years of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising and program development.
For more information, contact studio director, Erin Smith, erin@makerhouse.org
About Maker House / Clay Studio
Clay Studio, dba Maker House, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ceramic arts studio on ten acres in the Goleta foothills. It is a haven for the Santa Barbara arts community and an international destination for all who are passionate about exploring the ceramic arts. The building is a contemporary 22,000 square-foot studio with high and low-fire kilns, potters’ wheels, hand-building equipment, an array of custom glaze stations, a library and garden space. The studio hosts a variety of classes and workshops, community events, private lessons, group and corporate team building events, artist talks and demonstrations.