Delaware Art Museum supporter and ceramics class enthusiast Leslie Porter is deep in what she calls her “vase phase.”
“I love working in my garden, and one of my favorite routines is cutting flowers to create arrangements for my home or to give to friends. There’s something special about placing them in a handmade ceramic vase—once you start using them, you never want to go back to glass.”
Leslie has always been drawn to clay because of the form’s endless possibilities. “Working with clay is meditative and grounding,” Leslie says. “It demands your full attention and gives you a sense of agency. Every time I come into DelArt’s studio, I leave feeling lighter, more hopeful, and more connected—to myself and to others.”
A big part of Leslie’s love for the the Museum and its studios are the personal connections she’s developed, particularly with longtime ceramics instructor Pam Lau. “We cheer each other on, share our processes, and laugh together—it’s good for the soul,” says Leslie. “Pam is that once-in-a-lifetime teacher who makes all the difference. She inspires me to keep learning and creating.”
Leslie’s relationship with the Delaware Art Museum didn’t start in the studio. She grew up in Delaware, and for a time, lived a few blocks away on Bancroft Parkway. She fondly recalls how the Museum has been a big part of her life for as long as she can remember. She visited often as a child and then had the opportunity to introduce her kindergarten classes to the Museum when she was a teacher at Tower Hill School in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Leslie loves that DelArt continues to support and platform local students, citing a recent high school art exhibition in the studio wing lobby that featured a variety of media, from painting and photography to ceramics. “Their work was vibrant and full of promise. I could see the pride they must have felt seeing their pieces displayed in a real museum setting,” says Leslie. She also appreciates that the Museum has evolved over the decades to make it a place for everyone in our community.
“Whether you’re walking through the sculpture garden, catching an exhibition, or just enjoying the 11 acres of beautifully maintained grounds, there’s always something to experience. I love seeing people of all ages engaging with the Museum—families, students, art lovers, joggers, dog walkers. It really is a community hub. Moments like that remind me why I support DelArt. The Museum and its programs give me a true sense of community. That’s why I’ve become a financial supporter; I want others to feel what I’ve felt here. I want to see a thriving DelArt education wing with ample space and materials that people will want to come and spend lots of time.”
DelArt is grateful to Leslie Porter for her generous gift to our studio facility expansion project.