Old Town Artisan Studios (OTAS) is a non-profit art organization located in Old Town La Quinta that works to make art accessible to everyone. Through various community support, donations, and volunteers, OTAS shares the benefits of art with Coachella Valley.
The studios claim to provide over 25,000 art experiences annually. Director of Development & Donor Relations, Katie Thornton says the positive and healing impacts art has had on her and the community, which is what motivates her each day.
She says OTAS recognizes transportation is a major obstacle between members of Coachella Valley and art experiences. To provide more opportunities for the community, the studios formed its “Mobile Mission,” a service where an OTAS instructor brings art experiences, materials and instruction to various groups in the valley.
Outreach Instructor, Jessica Jordan works with various groups around the valley, and is always inspired by seeing the impact her classes have on those who take them. She says her favorite part is “being that person who shows them they can make art and watching them discover it for themselves.” Jordan also explained that while she often has a short amount of time per class with the students, she still sees positive impacts, even in some of the least excited students she has worked with.
Thornton feels art builds more “patience, communication and connection” among people. Students like Kaitlin Burns attend OTAS for this reason. Burns says she has not only found a love for ceramics and water color painting, but has also made new friends. Alma Pineda and her partner, Roberto Flores come to the studios looking for an activity to help them bond, but found so much more.
Flores is a veteran who struggled to assimilate back into civilian life. When he became an OTAS student in 2023, he joined the ceramics classes so that he could do an activity with Pineda. Pineda then began to see a gradual, positive change in Flores She emotionally explained what moved her the most was that she slowly saw Flores come back into the community, and adapt to civilian life.
Due to injuries from combat, Flores relies on his wheelchair for daily transportation. He says the first thing he appreciated was the way the staff immediately accommodated him to make attending classes as easy as possible. He never found difficulty in navigating the campus which he says made it very welcoming. He also found the quiet and serene environment of the campus very peaceful, and became a contributing factor to his continued attendance.
Jordan and Thornton both explained how the campus is laid out to be like a work of art, itself. With ambient music, outdoor sculpture installations and a waterfall fixture, there is an immediate sense of tranquility upon entry. Jordan says she hopes that more people will not only appreciate the art and the classes at OTAS, but also the campus itself.
