HISTORY of
RUBY'S CLAY STUDIO

Ruby O'Burke, founder of Ruby's Clay Studio

Ruby's Clay Studio is an arts center whose primary objectives are to promote community appreciation of the ceramic arts and to encourage self-expression, technical and artistic development through exhibitions, classes and the resources provided by a shared learning facility.

Ruby O'Burke, a celebrated Northern California ceramic artist, established the artist's workshop in 1962.  A Mills College graduate, who had studied with Antonio Prieto, Sr. Ruby wished to provide studio facilities and a supportive environment for trained potters to develop their craft.  It was her hope that many artists would "outgrow" the Workshop and set up their own studios.

                 
Members of Ruby's Clay Studio at work

This unique shared learning facility has been in its present location at 552A Noe St. in San Francisco, since 1967. After running the entire workshop single-handedly for many years, Ruby established a manager system in 1977 to distribute the workload. Under this arrangement, which continues today, several workshop members are hired to collect fees, fire kilns, answer questions, deal with the public and keep the place clean.  Ruby stayed on as overseer of the managers until 1980, when she turned over the reins to a full-time manager.

Ruby died on October 16th, 1983 at age of 86, her vision lives on and her high ideals and standards guide us into the future. In 1985 it was decided to change Ruby's from a private school and studio to a non-profit organization, the artist continue to uphold Ruby's intention for the studio by giving classes and making it accessible to the community at large. Ruby's Studio reaches out to the disadvantaged in San Francisco. Late in 1993 we received a $1300.00 grant from the LEF Foundation to start a new class that would subsidize fees for HIV positive individuals.  We have worked with Continuum (a HIV treatment center) to place prospective students into Ruby's.  In addition we have offered classes to battered women and provided occupational therapy to patients of Transitional House in Berkeley.   We have offered our gallery space annually to Live Oak School for there after school arts program. In addition to making Ruby's accessible to the disadvantaged in our community we have extended our services to include international organizations. Through artist exchange programs we have been able to extend and artist in residence grants to Russia and Brazil. The studio participated in arranging lodging, workspace, materials and firings for artist for 4 months.  Ruby's also organized a showing of ceramic work by the artists in our gallery. The studio was enriched through this exchange of cultural ideas.

Ruby's Studio is a cooperative and as such all the decisions, which affect the studio, are made at the monthly meetings.  Everyone involved with the studio is encouraged to attend.  We vote on proposed expenditures, policy changes and any major or minor concern of the membership.  There is a Board of Directors, which meets on a monthly basis and helps to provide a directional overview for the studio.

Ruby catching a few winks