Femme Sole Builds Community Through Art, Story, and Environment

Long Island, NY — Ceramic artist and educator Jessamyn Go is proud to announce the expansion of her community-based ceramics project Shaping the Shoreline across Long Island. The Pilot program will launch July 12th.  This pilot project is supported by Long Island Grants for the Arts through funds provided by the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and administered by The Huntington Arts Council.  This creative outreach initiative brings free hand-building clay workshops to diverse local communities with a focus on connection, imagination, and environmental awareness.

Through clay and conversation, Shaping the Shoreline creates space for community members of all ages to gather, create, and reflect on the deep relationship Long Islanders have with their environment—particularly the shorelines that shape our home and history.

"Clay is an ancient material that holds stories, and the shoreline is a place where stories meet," Go shares. "My hope is to offer spaces where freedom of thought is practiced, where people can reconnect with nature, each other, and themselves. Long Island is a beautiful, layered place, and art can help us remember that.”

Following the success of a sold out pilot workshop,  Go is excited to announce new partnerships and locations made possible by the L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grant supported by Optimum Business in partnership with LIA Foundation.  Future event sites will be at Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio led by Jeremy Dennis artist and photographer in Southampton, The Wertheim Wildlife Refuge in Shirley, and Sea of Visibility led by artist activist Anu Annam at Teatro Yerbabruja.  Dates to be announced.

Each workshop blends hand-building clay techniques with themes such as shoreline conservation, coastal resilience, cultural identity, and shared memory. Participants not only make art—they form bonds rooted in place, history, and shared care for Long Island’s future.

"These workshops are more than a class," says Go. "They’re an invitation to slow down, to listen, and to shape something meaningful with your hands and your heart."

As Shaping the Shoreline grows, Jessamyn Go continues to work with artists, environmental stewards, and cultural leaders to bring creative opportunities to communities that may otherwise have limited access to arts programming.

To learn more about Shaping the Shoreline, upcoming events, or partnership opportunities, sign up for our newsletter or follow @femmesole on Instagram.