The new owner of Long Beach's Earth Arts has big plans

Earth Arts has been an artistic staple in the Long Beach community for nearly 15 years. Camps, families and young couples would venture into the 162 W. Park Ave., shop to paint ceramics and get a little messy.

It has been a hotspot for birthday parties, too — something Susan Clancy experienced firsthand when Earth Arts hosted her daughter’s birthday party.

“We were looking for a place in town, to support a local business, and to host our party,” Clancy said. “We discovered (Earth Arts). We had a blast, and my daughter had such a great time painting.”

But that birthday party almost never happened. Right before the party, Earth Arts announced it would close.

When Clancy’s son declared that he, too, wanted his next birthday party at Earth Arts, Clancy knew she needed to do something to make that possible — for her son and for everyone else in the community that wanted to experience Earth Arts for years to come.

That’s when she decided to buy Earth Arts and become its new proprietor.

A Long Beach resident for five years, Clancy already was making strides into the community as an Arts Council volunteer. Now she has a chance to make an impact in a much bigger way — like adding some new, fresh programs at Earth Arts.

What has primarily been a ceramics shop where a customer would buy a pre-made piece — such as a statue, mug or plate — and paint it however they’d like before taking it home, now will open up to even younger audiences.

Clancy will do that by extending daytime hours so caretakers of younger kids can come in, explore different art media, and get messy without having to clean up afterward.

She also plans to incorporate pottery, already working to secure pottery wheels and develop pottery courses — something neighbors have been asking for, for some time.

“We also want to invite local artists who live here to feel like they could be a part of this space as an art hub for everyone,” Clancy said.

“We want to invite local artists who have specific skills to be a part of our group and teach workshops or exhibit their work in our space. We just want different ways that we could work with artists and help amplify their work, and at the same time, help them share their craft.”

Clancy will reopen Earth Arts just before the holiday observance that reflects its name. Earth Day is April 22, but Clancy is ready to welcome artists — new and old — back to the West Park Avenue shop beginning Friday, April 19, for a weekend of festivities and celebration. There will be Earth Day-inspired crafts, prizes and giveaways to celebrate the new age of Earth Arts.

“I’m not an artist in a traditional sense, but I am very interested in the arts, and I’m very enthusiastic about arts,” Clancy said.

“So, we decided to just jump in and do it. It all happened very suddenly, but we’re very excited and the support that we’ve gotten from people in the community is just unbelievable.

“It really reaffirms the reason why we’re doing this.”