DEBRA BALESTRERI

Born in Connecticut, ceramic artist and educator Debra Balestreri studied fine art and education at The University of Mary Washington where in 2003 she earned her BA in Studio Art and her Virginia State Teaching License. In 2007 Debra earned her MFA in Ceramic Sculpture and Post-Graduate Teaching License from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Soon after moving back to Virginia, Debra began her thirteen-year career at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton as the Director of Visual Arts Education. During that thirteen-year period, Debra also began exhibiting nation-wide, teaching local ceramics classes, had her first solo exhibition and rekindled her relationship with her former alma-mater and was invited to return as an adjunct professor where she has been teaching since 2009.

In 2020, at the start of the global pandemic, while serving as Director, Professor and maintaining her personal artistic practices, Debra decided to begin building her personal brand for high-end, functional, ceramic ware and created her new ecommerce business, Corgi Clay LLC. Due to the early success of this business and the desire to see more community arts activities in her hometown of Stafford, Debra opened up the Corgi Clay Art Center LLC. in September of 2023. Learn more at www.corgiclayartcenter.com