Shaping Community: The Heart of Teralta Art by Anna Noble

Tucked inside a small San Diego studio, Teralta Art brings people together through creativity and community. For many, it’s more than just an art class. It’s therapy, self-discovery, and connection. Whether it’s a student finding peace outside a biology lab or a young artist using her talent to apply to school, Teralta Art offers more than creativity. It offers a place to show up for yourself and others.

The front door and exterior of Teralta Art, located on El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The small studio is easy to miss from the street, but inside, the nonprofit offers weekly art classes that have become a creative lifeline for many local residents.
Community members gather around the main table during Clay Time at Teralta Art in San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2025. Every Friday morning, the studio opens its doors free of charge to people of all ages and skill levels.
Corrina Rivera sculpts Patrick Star, a character from her favorite show, “SpongeBob SquarePants,” at Teralta Art in San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2025. Rivera began attending Friday classes a month ago and said she enjoys the “feel” of the clay and the process of “knowing” it.

Michael Gallasp, a longtime participant pictured on the right, talks with a friend while shaping clay at Teralta Art in San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2025. Gallasp said creating art helps with his anxiety, and the community keeps him coming back each week.

A student smooths the rim of a small bowl with a scraper tool at Teralta Art in San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2025.

Katherine Farrah, a biology student at San Diego State University and volunteer at Teralta Art since August 2024, kneads and rolls clay before starting her project on Friday, April 11, 2025.

She said Teralta Art is an outlet that pushed her out of her comfort zone, where she feels authentically herself and enjoys small talk with the community.

A sink at Teralta Art in San Diego displays various tools used during workshops and classes, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The nonprofit relies on donations to keep its programs accessible and stocked with supplies.

Maggie Shea, founder and executive director of Teralta Art, leads weekly Clay and Wheel Time classes in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood. Known as “Miss Maggie,” she creates a welcoming space where students of all ages explore art, community, and healing through clay.

Maggie Shea, founder of Teralta Art, laughs while helping Annaya, 11, center her clay during a Wheel Time class in San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2025. Annaya said she likes that

“you can make anything you want,”

and would make an apple pie dish if she could create anything from clay.

Maggie Shea checks in with Corrina Rivera as she works on shaping her clay in San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2025. Rivera said she sees Teralta Art as a

"light to see new things."

Moriah, 12, receives guidance from Maggie Shea during a Wheel Time session at Teralta Art in San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2025. Moriah said she enjoys making things on her own and finds it calming.

Teralta Art’s "Wheel Time" pickup wall in San Diego is pictured on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The wall is filled with pottery created by participants, who can pick up their glazed pieces after completion.

Melissa Velarde wraps her hands around clay while shaping it at Teralta Art in San Diego on Friday, April 11, 2025. Velarde attended her first class that day and hopes to eventually teach her son. She said she was drawn to Teralta Art for its affordability.

Teralta Art continues to make creativity accessible to all, offering more than just art classes; it offers connection. At the heart of this San Diego art studio is its community. It's the people who return each week, the volunteers who share their time, and the young artists shaping their futures. One scholarship recipient, who has attended for nearly two years, even used the pieces she created at Teralta Art to apply for high school. This is an example of a lasting reminder that the true art being shaped here is opportunity, powered by community.