Bayan Studio

10/10/2026

The wheel keeps spinning, and so do we. Step into a space designed to help you slow down, breathe, and create. Bayan Ceramics Studio is coming to Oak Park in January 2027. What would you create first?

10/04/2026

🏺 3RD SPACE COMING TO OAK PARK, PT. 2: THE MEMBER STUDIO 🏺

Right now, it's just concrete and possibility. Soon, it will be the creative home for our members!

Here's what's coming to this space:
🎡 24 pottery wheels
🤝 Shared work tables open to everyone
🔑 24/7 member access
🔥 An enclosed kiln room with 6 electric kilns and a gas kiln for reduction firing

And say hello to Luna, our very first member! 🐾 She's already approved the space.

Fresh paint. Fresh start. We're opening in January 2027, and founding memberships are open now.

👉 Learn more and join us: www.bayanstudio.org

Missed Pt. 1? Scroll down to tour our future gallery and retail space.

Mula sa maraming kamay, isang magandang bagay. From many hands, one beautiful thing.

10/03/2026

A 3rd space is coming to Oak Park, and you're getting the very first tour. 🗝️

Welcome to Pt. 1 of our studio vlog! Come with me through the doors at 222 Lake Street and into what will become our retail and gallery space.

Right now it's bare walls and sunlight. Soon, it'll be shelves filled with pieces made by our members, students, and local makers. Imagine seeing YOUR work on display here. 🏺✨

A 3rd space is that place beyond home and work where you can just be. Where you're known, where you belong, and where your hands get to play. That's what we're building.

Opening January 2027. Follow along for Pt. 2! 👀

Founding memberships are open now 👉 www.bayanstudio.org

Mula sa maraming kamay, isang magandang bagay.
From many hands, one beautiful thing. 🤎

10/03/2026

Before a single wall goes up, there's the vision. ✨

When I first sat down at a pottery wheel in 2023, I never imagined that just a few years later I'd be looking at architectural sketches of my own studio. But here we are, and I'm so moved to finally share a first look inside Bayan Ceramics Studio.

In my newest post on The Flow, I walk through our two studios: the Member Studio, with its rows of wheels and shared tables where anyone can pull up a seat, and the Instruction Studio, with its soaring skylights that I fell in love with the moment I stood beneath them.

This dream has been shaped by so many hands already, and I'm deeply grateful to every one of you who has cheered me on. 🙏🏽

Take a peek here 👉 https://www.bayanstudio.org/the-flow

Mula sa maraming kamay, isang magandang bagay. From many hands, one beautiful thing. 🤎

09/11/2026

We made the OP/FYI newsletter! 🎉

Big news from 222 Lake Street — Bayan Ceramics Studio was just featured in the Village of Oak Park's newsletter, alongside some exciting new neighbors bringing energy back to Lake Street.

We're so grateful to the Village's Office of Economic Vitality for partnering with us to bring this underutilized space back to life after 25 years of sitting vacant — and for recognizing our mission to bring hands-on pottery classes, open studio time, and mindfulness-focused programming to this community.

Bayan means "community," and this studio was never meant to be built alone. From Sentro (center) to Likha (create) to Ugnayan (connect), everything about this space reflects that spirit: Mula sa maraming kamay, isang magandang bagay — from many hands, a beautiful thing.

We can't wait to welcome you all in. 🏺✨

📍 222 Lake St, Oak Park
🌐 www.bayanstudio.org

08/28/2026

Last Friday, August 21, I signed the papers that make it real: 222 Lake Street in Oak Park is officially home to Bayan Ceramics Studio. 🎉🏺
I have to take a minute to tell you how we got here, because it hasn't been a straight line — it's been a leap of faith, six months in the making.

Back in February, I signed the Letter of Intent on this building with nothing but a vision and a lot of hope. I didn't know yet how many steps stood between that piece of paper and today — the inspections, the financing, the permits, the late nights reworking plans, the moments I wondered if it would actually come together. But every step forward was carried by the same spirit that's guided my whole life: Bayanihan — the Filipino value of community lifting each other up. I leaned on my family, my friends, my team, and honestly, on faith that when you pour good energy into something, the universe finds a way to meet you halfway.

For those who don't know the full story: I spent over 30 years building people-centered teams in corporate HR, but in 2023, while working through a chronic health condition, I found my way to the pottery wheel. Clay gave me something words couldn't — a place to be fully present, to heal, to find my center. And once I felt what that space could do for me, I knew I wanted to build a place where others could find that same center, too.

That's Bayan Ceramics Studio — built around three simple ideas: Sentro (Center), Likha (Create), and Ugnayan (Connect). A studio that isn't just about throwing pots, but about building a real community around the wheel, the way my family and culture taught me community should feel.
So here's what's next: we're heading into construction this fall, and I couldn't be more excited to share the space taking shape at 222 Lake Street. My goal is to officially open our doors in January 2027, and along the way, we'll be hosting some soft openings and community events this fall and into the beginning of winter as we finish building — so you can see the space come to life before the grand opening, and be part of this from the very start.

Thank you to everyone who has cheered me on, asked how it's going, sent good vibes, or just believed in this with me. This is a Bayan project in every sense of the word — it takes a village, and I am so grateful for mine.
More updates (and sawdust-covered progress photos) to come. 🧡

05/17/2026

05/09/2026

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword for us—it’s how we’re building. 🌱

As we gear up to open the doors of our new studio, I’ve been intentionally sourcing furniture and equipment from local makers and neighbors via Marketplace. Choosing to reuse isn't just about the "find"; it’s about the mindfulness of reducing our footprint and supporting the local community.

The people I’ve met along the way have been the highlight of this journey. Their kindness has made this "home stretch" of securing our space feel so much more meaningful.

The countdown is on! Get ready to follow along as we transform this space. ⏳✨

05/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ci4fgGuwE/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🎨 https://on.wsj.com/4w3mEea

A growing number of overworked travelers are seeking rejuvenation in retreats and tours that focus on connection and creativity: blockprinting in Finland or India, sewing in England, embroidery in Italy.

Sometimes called slowcations, these trips sell themselves as the opposite of the soul-sucking “follow-the-flag” tours.

The trips are particularly appealing to solo women travelers, a long overlooked, but rapidly growing, segment of the travel market.

“You can travel and be nourished instead of tired at the end.” said Vida Forrest y Salazar, co-owner of tour company Ace Camps, which offers two dozen craft-focused trips globally.

04/26/2026

Wonderful to spend an afternoon with my fellow Pinay makers.