
An online marketplace for functional contemporary art created by regional artists
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A curated online market full of items from selected regional artists, tailored to be reflective of the moment. We are starting small and focusing for now entirely on functional items and artwork meant to comfort and inspire. A core part of RAM is supporting artists to empower artists to make functional items that build their capacity for earned income and economic resilience. RAM artists receive a full 70% of every sale. This means, when you purchase from RAM, you are directly supporting artists and vibrant creative communities. Browse through our collection of handmade masks, scarves, bags, cards, prints, and apparel and help empower regional artists with your purchase. Happy shopping!
Leah Schaperow is a ceramic artist of Milk Oolong Studio in Liberty Station, who creates decorative and functional works that are inspired by the human attempt to control nature. Leah experimentally hand mixes her glazes from raw chemicals. Her artistic processes includes thick slip application, slip trailing, and drawing and painting directly onto ceramic pieces to create a complex surface quality.
She earned a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she also taught for two years at the University’s Pottery Studio. For the past few years, Leah has drawn inspiration from her students and colleagues at District Clay Center (Washington DC), ArtWorksNow (Hyattsville, MD), and Studio A (College Park, MD).
Leah’s art work has been featured in exhibitions throughout Washington DC, Maryland, and California, including in the Maryland House of Delegates, Annapolis, MD; Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD; Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD; Art Enables, Washington DC; Merge Gallery, Rockville, MD; and North Park Library, San Diego, CA.
RAM is a new program of the San Diego Art Institute, launched in response to the impact of COVID-19 on creative industries.
As the only contemporary cultural institution in Balboa Park, the San Diego Art Institute (SDAI) nurtures the creation of groundbreaking art by providing a dedicated exhibition space for the artistic talent that resides in Southern California and Northern Baja to collaborate, exhibit, and thrive.
Through high quality, interactive programming, educational initiatives, and exhibitions, SDAI promotes cultural equity and artistic enrichment within our community and enables diverse audiences to interact with art and artists in meaningful ways.
RAM’s debut was made possible through a grant from U.S. Bank.
Learn more about SDAI at sandiego-art.org