LEMOYNE ARTS
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Art For Always

THE VISION  FOR A REGIONAL CERAMICS PROGRAM AT LEMOYNE ARTS

Imagine a thriving ceramics program which draws enthusiasts from around our region to Tallahassee for the opportunity to come together and learn from experienced potters at LeMoyne Arts.
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​The existing kiln sheds at LeMoyne are in high demand for traditional and alternative pottery firing methods. 

The existing facility will be expanded, and new features added to create an inviting space nestled among the landscaping and sculptures of the gardens.  The renovations and expansion of the ceramics firing complex, and gardens will transform the gardens at LeMoyne creating a magnet for those seeking to experience alternative pottery firings such as Raku and Saggar.

LeMoyne Arts sees an opportunity to build on the current demand for clay classes and workshops and alternative firings, to draw even more students and observers to experience the thrill of creating art with clay. Transforming this existing space into an attractive and accessible venue for artists, pottery students and visitors to experience a wide variety of pottery firings will create a beautiful space all to enjoy.
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Features will include a clean safe space for teachers and students; new paths and seating offering access for everyone, seating and observation spaces around the complex, organization through better equipment storage, and drainage improvements.
L​eMoyne Arts is a leader in ceramics education through its resident artist Nancy Jefferson. Nancy’s accomplished students from over years of teaching, are eager to join her in LeMoyne’s vision for a regional ceramics center.
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​Improving and expanding LeMoyne’s already very popular and active ceramics programs will include adding a new ceramics lab for building and throwing clay and renovating the existing kiln shed complex. The transformation will create an inviting space for groups and individuals to learn and practice many unconventional as well as traditional pottery firing methods.
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Potter Nancy Jefferson Finds Inspiration in Nature

Inspired by the glories of nature all around her, she fashions art by working with her hand
​By Marina Brown, May 1, 2021, Tallahassee Magazine
Jefferson would not escape shaping clay and reaching into fires, and she would be inspired by the glories of nature all around her. She had been chosen by the Muse of Ceramics to become a potter.
Some 50 years later, Jefferson, whose work appears in galleries all over Florida and not infrequently in museums and outdoor art exhibitions in Tallahassee, continues to create art that is cherished for its elegance and whimsy. Since 2012, she has been the sought-after ceramics teacher at the LeMoyne Museum where she supports the vision of a wide range of students.
 
Jefferson attended the University of Kentucky and majored in art with an emphasis in ceramics. Then came the shift to the locale she called home for the next 24 years, Islamorada, in the Florida Keys.
“There was a wonderful atmosphere there in the ’70s — artists helping artists, a real community.” She apprenticed for two years with famed potters Dorothy and Lee Shank, and after attending the Penland School of Crafts and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, she became the center’s resident potter. Her reputation grew.
Many of her plates, vases and platters are formed into fishy bodies with perky fins, their coloration ranging from pastel to variegated, pixelated hues.
“I teach raku,” Jefferson said, “a 16th-century Japanese style, in which the piece is heated until the glaze is molten, then placed in a sawdust-filled trash can that catches fire. When brought out, you’ll see a beautiful, crackled surface.” She described “smoke-firing” involving an open pit, fire, leaves and a pottery surface rubbed and burnished with a stone. And she employs “saggar firing,” in which a piece is placed inside another container before firing. She uses more traditional kilns, as well.
With so much fire and heat, there are bound to be surprises.
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L-R: Students building and throwing clay in LeMoyne’s Cermaics Lab. Nancy Jefferson preparing Raku firing in LeMoyne’s Kiln
​Complex. Students enjoy final pottery product after firing at LeMoyne Arts.

The mission of LeMoyne Arts is to promote and advance education, interest and participation in the contemporary visual arts.
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Gallery Address: ​125 N. Gadsden Street Tallahassee, FL 32301​​
Education Center Address: 121 N. Gadsden Street Tallahassee, FL 32301
​

Email: [email protected]
​
Education Email: [email protected]
Phone: 850-222-8800
​
Gallery & Shop Hours*
Tuesdays - Saturdays: 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sundays & Mondays : Closed

*Please note that the Gallery Shop keeps regular business hours and remains open between exhibits, even when the gallery closes for installation.
​Private events or weather advisories may affect hours of operation. We announce closures on our social media and website. When in doubt, please call or email.
We are located in downtown Tallahassee's Park Avenue Historic District:
  • Free on-street Parking available after 6PM on Gadsden, Park, and Call Streets.
  • Free parking also available at Capital City Bank and after 5PM at the Florida Council for Community Mental Health. 

Thank You to our Sustaining Sponsors
LeMoyne Art Foundation, Inc. DBA LeMoyne Arts is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Federal Tax Number: 59-6166275.
Copyright © 1963-2025  LeMoyne Arts, Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Events & Exhibits
    • Current & Upcoming
    • Previous Exhibits
    • Call to Artists
    • Mahaska Whitley Student Exhibition >
      • MWSE Donations
    • Chain of Parks Art Festival
    • Art & Soul Celebration
    • Annual Holiday Show
    • LeMoyne Arts Calendar
  • Education
    • Adult Classes
    • Youth & Teen Classes
    • Pre-K Art Sparks
    • Workshops
    • Art Camp
    • Gift Certificates
    • Education Calendar
  • Visit
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Accessibility
    • Field Trips
    • Gallery Shop
    • Community Partners
    • LeMoyne Audio Tour
  • Rentals
    • Venue Rentals
    • Studios for Lease
    • Kids Birthday Parties
    • Classroom Studio Rentals
  • Donate
    • Donate Today!
    • Legacy Giving
    • Sponsor A Program >
      • Exhibits Sponsorship
      • Education Sponsorship
      • Chain of Parks Sponsorship
      • Art & Soul Sponsorship
      • Holiday Show Sponsorship
    • Fund a Scholarship
    • Art for Always >
      • Honor Roll - AFA Donors
      • Art for Always Dedications
      • Art for Always Recognition Opportunities
    • Funding Gap Campaign
    • Business Partnership
  • Membership
    • Become a Member!
    • Renew Today!
    • Pillars of LeMoyne Society
  • About
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Join Our Team >
      • Volunteering and Internships
      • Careers
      • Join the Camp Staff
      • Teach at LeMoyne
    • Newsroom >
      • LeNews
      • Facilities & History >
        • Map of LeMoyne
    • Hours & Contact