I recently popped into Lillstreet Art Center to check out their newly renovated gallery area and, while I was there, got a tour of the entire building. Wow. The place is even more warm, friendly, and inspiring than I remember it being when I took a beginner’s still-life painting class there what seems like ages ago. The textiles department has grown into a mini institution that just might spawn the next Thomas Paul (see examples from the Screenprints on Fabric class above) and the freshly renovated gallery on the first floor now features rotating exhibits of work by potters from around the country (while the adjacent shop features work for sale by star Lillstreet students and teachers, as well as previous exhibitors; in the future, look for exhibits in other mediums, from jewelry to handmade prints). Until the end of the month, Lillstreet is having a 35th anniversary show, featuring ceramics by students and teachers who have passed through its creativity-filled halls over the years. Stop by and check it out—and don’t leave without having a snack at the always-delish onsite First Slice Café.