The Professional Artists of St. Augustine (PAStA) Fine Art Gallery, of 214 Charlotte Street, St. Augustine, proudly announce receiving St. Augustine Best Gallery third place award from the 2023 Official Community Choice Awards.
Each year, the Best of St. Augustine Community’s Choice Awards recognizes more than 450 businesses and organizations. The awards program starts with public nominations, and from the top five nominees in each category, the voting round selects the finalists and winners.
“We are thrilled to be awarded the third-place finalist in the Best of St. Augustine Art Galleries,” Valarie Pothier-Forrester commented. “And we want to thank all our many patrons and tourists that continue to visit our gallery and for supporting local art.”
The PAStA Gallery was founded in 1982 at 214 Charlotte Street by Jean Wagner Troemel, a Florida resident and international award-winning artist. Troemel’s efforts included St. Augustine’s First Friday Art Walks, and expanding St. Augustine’s reputation as an art community.
“It is a testament to Jean Wagner Troemel’s legacy, that her founding gallery continues to thrive in the vibrant art culture she nurtured here in St. Augustine,” Valarie added.
Stay up to date with all that is happening at PAStA by visiting the website, Facebook, or Instagram page. Join our email list for the latest information about our artists.
About PAStA:
The Professional Artists of St. Augustine Fine Art Gallery (PAStA) on Charlotte Street, in downtown historic St. Augustine, Florida, was founded in 1982 by Jean Wagner Troemel, a champion of the arts, founder of the Winter Haven Ridge Art Association, served on the Florida Arts Group Board (FLAG), and spearheaded St. Augustine’s First Friday Art Walks. The gallery has served an international clientele a wealth of local talent and award-winning artists. The gallery’s mission is to showcase local and regional art and to educate and encourage area artists.
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I did not connect with clay as an artistic outlet until mid-life. During a hectic and demanding career, while juggling family, job and my MBA, I needed a healthy outlet to release my frustrations while appealing to my sorely under-utilized creative needs.
One summer class gave me the impetus to redirect what little down-time I had into punching, pulling, coiling, pinching, slapping, and throwing this amazing and malleable material into anything my imagination desired. I found therapy through clay.
In the years since, I have received an Associate’s Degree from the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire, and set up my first studio in a basement of our house. Currently, my studio has moved above ground – to my garage, but includes a wheel, large Skutt kiln, slab roller and an array of clay and glazes that would make a chameleon dizzy. I am a proud member of the Professional Artists of St. Augustine Fine Art Gallery since October of 2021.
I work with a variety of clays and glazes – from mid-temp stoneware and shiny glazes to low-fire and matte underglazes. I find inspiration in nature, children’s stories and fables, and my own untamed imagination!
