ABOUT US

Cliffside Arts: a place to return to.

An emerging nonprofit dedicated to advancing art and community through practice, collaboration, retreat, and exhibition — just outside Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Rooted in the ancient, human act of making by hand, Cliffside provides a place to slow down, work with earth, take creative risks, and return to the rhythms of material, environment, and shared practice. Here, art is a cycle: gather, make, share, and begin again.

OUR MISSION

“To advance art and community through artistic practice, collaboration, and retreat — from creation to exhibition.”

We are building a community where artists can learn from one another, show their work, and experience the grounding power of creation in a setting shaped by cliffs, river water, seasonal change, and the quiet presence of West Virginian land.

At a time when many people feel disconnected from the objects they use, make, and live with, Cliffside offers a return to the elemental. Clay reminds us that craft is not separate from daily life — it is core to our humanity.

THE FOUNDERS

Colleen & Luke

Cliffside Arts began with two artists working side by side in the pottery studio. In making together, they noticed something powerful: collaboration deepened their practice.

Shared time, honest critique, failed attempts, problem solving, and the simple act of working near another person made the work stronger. That experience became the seed of Cliffside Arts.