ABOUT
Indian River Clay, a collaboration of Treasure Coast clay artists, is a non-profit organization which is a working clay studio serving the needs of the community with studio memberships, classes, workshops and community outreach as a nonprofit organization.
Our Board of Directors
Steve Benardo
Board Member
Steven Benardo was a school district superintendent in New York State for 25 years concluding in 2007 with his retirement. He earned a doctorate from Fordham University in 1982 in educational management. He was the president of his condominium on Hutchinson Island for 8 years. Presently he serves on the Boards of The Four Chaplains War Memorial in Sebastian, The WWII Museum Honoring The Merchant Mariners and the Navy Armed Guard in Fellsmere and the Board of St. Lucie County Learning To Read.
Leah Cady - Secretary
Co-Founder
Originally from Western Michigan, Leah Cady has lived in Florida for most of her adult life. She has blended her business experience with a life long love for art in her ownership of Flametree Clay Art Gallery, Indian River County’s only gallery dedicated to clay art and pottery. Even though she is an aspiring potter, her real joy is realized in the exhibition of her artist’s work in the gallery. Leah joined the Indian River Clay, Inc. leadership team with a desire to help the clay art community in Indian River County to continue to grow. When she is not in her gallery, Leah and her husband (Bruce) can be found spoiling their White American Shepherd, Lani.
Joan Cortright
Co-Founder
Joan Cortright has worked in art and ceramics in particular, for nearly 30 years. In 1996 she rented a studio at the Ceramic League of Miami and during her 15 years there she served on the Board of Directors, was employed as the school director, and taught many years of classes and summer camp. After moving to Vero Beach in 2010 she taught classes for several years at the Vero Beach Museum of Art and out of her own studio.
Anita Prentice
Board Member
Anita served as Chair and on the St. Lucie County Cultural Affairs Council for eight years, Chair of Art In Public Places, St Lucie Horticultural Board, Zora Neale Hurston Committee, the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens Council member, and a charter member of Fort Pierce's Art Mundo.
As a working artist, Anita can create a variety of art mediums, though she is best known for her painted mosaics. Her creations encompass real life subjects, abstracts, to the plain fun and funky. Anita prepares her glass like a pallet, using each piece of carefully crafted stained glass like a drop of paint, giving the viewer the impression that Anita truly is creating the antiquities of tomorrow.
Anita has created numerous public monumental works including: a tribute for the Highway men on Fort Pierces Intermodal Train Station, grave markers for several Highwaymen artists, the butterfly mosaic at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Garden, the arch at Fort Pierce's Melody Lane Fishing Pier, the 150+ benches at the South Hutchinson Jetty and throughout St Lucie County, Zora Neale Hurston Portrait series, Historic Imokolee's 1920s above ground pool, the fountain at Altimira Condominiums on the Atlantic Ocean, the the seawall at the former home of Jimmy Buffet in KeyWest and most recently matching mosaic murals of the Tree Of Life on the front facade of the Port St. Lucie tax office.
Susan Scarola - Board Chair & Treasurer
Co-Founder & Resident Artist
Susan grew up on Long Island in those idealistic 1950’s, one of six children. After brief stints as a kindergarten teacher, human resources professional and stay-at-home Mom, she obtained her MBA at NYU. Susan joined KPMG and earned her CPA, then joined DCH Auto Group, a small New York City family owned business. After 30 years, she retired as Vice Chairman of DCH which had grown to be one of the retail auto industry’s largest companies encompassing 40+ subsidiaries in multiple states.
Susan’s work fueled her genetic passion to travel and you may have seen her wandering a food market or seeking pottery souvenirs. She does still think of herself as a New Yorker, and her only child, Jenna, lives in southern California, but her mother and other family are here, so Florida became home.
Restless and wanting to find community here, Susan began to play in clay in 2016 with Ginny Piech Street as her first instructor. Further encouragement from her neighbor Katie Santomartino led her to classes with Maria Sparsis. She never dreamed that path would lead her to Indian River Clay but here she is, a novice encouraging the right side of her brain amongst new friends. Susan hopes that the welcoming atmosphere at Indian River Clay will open others to this joy.
Maria Sparsis
Founder & Resident Artist
Maria Sparsis was born on the island of Cyprus to a Cypriot father and a British mother, Maria has also lived and worked in Wales, Scotland, New England and, for the last 18 years, Florida. A Marine Biologist by training and a scientist by inclination Maria has a deep commitment to nature in all its forms. Maria is part owner of Tea and Chi, a premium loose-leaf tea company in downtown Vero Beach, a resident artist and former owner at Flametree gallery and serves as an adjunct biology professor at Indian River State College. Her love of tea and collection of teapots are what initially brought her to the world of ceramics. Much of Maria's work is inspired by her love of nature and fondness for the absurd which she has inherited from her father. Maria has studied ceramics with Sean Clinton, Nancy Blair, Glenda Taylor, Charlie Riggs, Deborah Adornato, Walford Campbell and Nan Jacobson.
Ginny Piech Street
Co-Founder and Studio Manager
Ginny grew up in Indiana, spent some time in Western Kentucky, the Low Country of South Carolina and Key West before calling the Treasure Coast her home. She's appreciative of the interest and support that the residents of the Treasure Coast have for the arts. Among her accomplishments as a working artist are three large scale public art installations, two of which are owned by the City of Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County, FL. She has exhibited in Chelsea, NYC, Le Moyne Art Foundation in Tallahassee and has won first place in sculpture at Bradenton’s Village Of The Arts Holiday Show. She was co-founder and former board member of Art Mundo, A Center For Creative Expression in Fort Pierce, FL. With 4 other clay artists she opened Peacock Clay Collaborative, a working clay studio and clay gallery in downtown Fort Pierce. Ginny says "With a BFA in printmaking, I am way out of my league with clay, but playing in the mud is too much fun." She's been working in clay for about 6 years and has found that it is easy to carry one’s imagery and style from medium to medium. The tactile nature of clay immediately engages her senses and involves her creatively. One can’t be passive when ones hands are deep in mud! She also enjoys collaboration as it nurtures a strong creative environment and builds lasting alliances in the art community. She's been hooked on the creative process for as long as she can remember. She enjoys the surprise of where it takes her. Her desire is to share this joy.
Steve Benardo
Board Member
Steven Benardo was a school district superintendent in New York State for 25 years concluding in 2007 with his retirement. He earned a doctorate from Fordham University in 1982 in educational management. He was the president of his condominium on Hutchinson Island for 8 years. Presently he serves on the Boards of The Four Chaplains War Memorial in Sebastian, The WWII Museum Honoring The Merchant Mariners and the Navy Armed Guard in Fellsmere and the Board of St. Lucie County Learning To Read.
Leah Cady - Secretary
Co-Founder
Originally from Western Michigan, Leah Cady has lived in Florida for most of her adult life. She has blended her business experience with a life long love for art in her ownership of Flametree Clay Art Gallery, Indian River County’s only gallery dedicated to clay art and pottery. Even though she is an aspiring potter, her real joy is realized in the exhibition of her artist’s work in the gallery. Leah joined the Indian River Clay, Inc. leadership team with a desire to help the clay art community in Indian River County to continue to grow. When she is not in her gallery, Leah and her husband (Bruce) can be found spoiling their White American Shepherd, Lani.
Joan Cortright
Co-Founder
Joan Cortright has worked in art and ceramics in particular, for nearly 30 years. In 1996 she rented a studio at the Ceramic League of Miami and during her 15 years there she served on the Board of Directors, was employed as the school director, and taught many years of classes and summer camp. After moving to Vero Beach in 2010 she taught classes for several years at the Vero Beach Museum of Art and out of her own studio.
Anita Prentice
Board Member
Anita served as Chair and on the St. Lucie County Cultural Affairs Council for eight years, Chair of Art In Public Places, St Lucie Horticultural Board, Zora Neale Hurston Committee, the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens Council member, and a charter member of Fort Pierce's Art Mundo.
As a working artist, Anita can create a variety of art mediums, though she is best known for her painted mosaics. Her creations encompass real life subjects, abstracts, to the plain fun and funky. Anita prepares her glass like a pallet, using each piece of carefully crafted stained glass like a drop of paint, giving the viewer the impression that Anita truly is creating the antiquities of tomorrow.
Anita has created numerous public monumental works including: a tribute for the Highway men on Fort Pierces Intermodal Train Station, grave markers for several Highwaymen artists, the butterfly mosaic at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Garden, the arch at Fort Pierce's Melody Lane Fishing Pier, the 150+ benches at the South Hutchinson Jetty and throughout St Lucie County, Zora Neale Hurston Portrait series, Historic Imokolee's 1920s above ground pool, the fountain at Altimira Condominiums on the Atlantic Ocean, the the seawall at the former home of Jimmy Buffet in KeyWest and most recently matching mosaic murals of the Tree Of Life on the front facade of the Port St. Lucie tax office.
Susan Scarola - Board Chair & Treasurer
Co-Founder & Resident Artist
Susan grew up on Long Island in those idealistic 1950’s, one of six children. After brief stints as a kindergarten teacher, human resources professional and stay-at-home Mom, she obtained her MBA at NYU. Susan joined KPMG and earned her CPA, then joined DCH Auto Group, a small New York City family owned business. After 30 years, she retired as Vice Chairman of DCH which had grown to be one of the retail auto industry’s largest companies encompassing 40+ subsidiaries in multiple states.
Susan’s work fueled her genetic passion to travel and you may have seen her wandering a food market or seeking pottery souvenirs. She does still think of herself as a New Yorker, and her only child, Jenna, lives in southern California, but her mother and other family are here, so Florida became home.
Restless and wanting to find community here, Susan began to play in clay in 2016 with Ginny Piech Street as her first instructor. Further encouragement from her neighbor Katie Santomartino led her to classes with Maria Sparsis. She never dreamed that path would lead her to Indian River Clay but here she is, a novice encouraging the right side of her brain amongst new friends. Susan hopes that the welcoming atmosphere at Indian River Clay will open others to this joy.
Maria Sparsis
Founder & Resident Artist
Maria Sparsis was born on the island of Cyprus to a Cypriot father and a British mother, Maria has also lived and worked in Wales, Scotland, New England and, for the last 18 years, Florida. A Marine Biologist by training and a scientist by inclination Maria has a deep commitment to nature in all its forms. Maria is part owner of Tea and Chi, a premium loose-leaf tea company in downtown Vero Beach, a resident artist and former owner at Flametree gallery and serves as an adjunct biology professor at Indian River State College. Her love of tea and collection of teapots are what initially brought her to the world of ceramics. Much of Maria's work is inspired by her love of nature and fondness for the absurd which she has inherited from her father. Maria has studied ceramics with Sean Clinton, Nancy Blair, Glenda Taylor, Charlie Riggs, Deborah Adornato, Walford Campbell and Nan Jacobson.
Ginny Piech Street
Co-Founder and Studio Manager
Ginny grew up in Indiana, spent some time in Western Kentucky, the Low Country of South Carolina and Key West before calling the Treasure Coast her home. She's appreciative of the interest and support that the residents of the Treasure Coast have for the arts. Among her accomplishments as a working artist are three large scale public art installations, two of which are owned by the City of Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County, FL. She has exhibited in Chelsea, NYC, Le Moyne Art Foundation in Tallahassee and has won first place in sculpture at Bradenton’s Village Of The Arts Holiday Show. She was co-founder and former board member of Art Mundo, A Center For Creative Expression in Fort Pierce, FL. With 4 other clay artists she opened Peacock Clay Collaborative, a working clay studio and clay gallery in downtown Fort Pierce. Ginny says "With a BFA in printmaking, I am way out of my league with clay, but playing in the mud is too much fun." She's been working in clay for about 6 years and has found that it is easy to carry one’s imagery and style from medium to medium. The tactile nature of clay immediately engages her senses and involves her creatively. One can’t be passive when ones hands are deep in mud! She also enjoys collaboration as it nurtures a strong creative environment and builds lasting alliances in the art community. She's been hooked on the creative process for as long as she can remember. She enjoys the surprise of where it takes her. Her desire is to share this joy.
Like the Studio, our website is a works in progress, adding information on a daily basis. Please visit regularly to stay updated on our progress. If you are interested in being a studio member, please visit our membership page for more information.
If you would like to be involved, please contact us.
If you would like to be involved, please contact us.