Epitome Gallery Launches Free Sunday Community Art Workshops in Old Town Eureka

Epitome Gallery in Old Town Eureka is hosting free, weekly Sunday community art workshops led by gallery owner Jullia Finkelstein. The sessions run Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 420 2nd Street and are open to all ages, with the gallery providing reclaimed and recycled materials while participants may bring their own supplies.

Finkelstein said the program was created to remove financial barriers and reduce waste. “Eliminating the cost of materials helps reduce waste while making art more accessible,” she said, adding that using free or repurposed items helps “remove intimidation and create a space that feels inclusive rather than pretentious.”

Workshop surfaces and found-object prompts are specific and deliberate: participants are encouraged to experiment with painted vinyl records, empty spray cans and aluminum sign scraps, among other upcycled materials. The gatherings emphasize hands-on making and creative risk-taking; attendees are invited to try found and recycled items as alternative canvases and sculptural bases.

The gallery reports the weekly format has produced visible community outcomes. A recently completed imagined cityscape installation now fills the gallery’s front window after several weeks of participants contributing materials and ideas. Epitome Gallery also runs a “treasure hunt” program in which artists can take creations home or donate pieces to be hidden throughout Old Town as free public art.

Epitome’s Sunday offerings are paired with a separate Sunday program in the same space: REWORDED Poetry Workshops run by Wil Gibson, identified as Eureka’s Poet Laureate, which meet Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The poetry listing advertises editing tips, weekly prompts and a community atmosphere and notes “All ages welcome!” The gallery also houses a new and used mobile poetry bookstore with a permanent home inside Epitome Gallery.

Logistics for anyone interested are straightforward: the art workshops are free and meet every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 420 2nd Street, Eureka, CA 95501. For more information or to contact the gallery directly, Epitome Gallery lists a phone number, (707) 798-1541, and an email address, info@theepitomegallery.com, and maintains social pages on Instagram and Facebook.

Finkelstein encourages new artists not to judge their work too quickly; instead she advises them to keep creating and share their ideas, describing the act of putting art into the world as powerful and transformative. The weekly workshops aim to provide a recurring, intergenerational space in Old Town where neighbors can share food and make art without financial barriers while contributing to visible, community-centered projects.