ARTS & EDUCATION
CEnTeR
Located in Wildwood, MO – we are a community of passionate artists who are providing a space for curious individuals to explore and develop their creativity openly through small classes and individual coaching. It is our goal to inspire those around us to get our hands a little dirty and get lost in the process of creating art.
We offer beginning and intermediate ceramics classes in our comfortable and friendly environment. We hope to expand to other artistic disciplines such as music and photography as the right instructors and opportunities develop.
OUR TeAm
We'Re A GROWING
COMMUNITY
If you’re interested in joining us either as a studio user, educator, or supporter please don’t hesitate to reach out!
DOUG GILBERG
Founder & Executive Director
Doug Gilberg is a native of St. Louis and has spent the past 35 years as an entrepreneur in the nursery and real estate fields. His passion for the living world has been demonstrated by his work at Gilberg Perennial Farms working with many aspects of ornamental horticulture and natural history. Doug also worked for Abengoa Bioenergy developing cellulosic energy growing systems as a Project Development Manager.
Doug’s passion for clay goes back to his days at U City High where he found his love of ceramics. Since then, clay has been a constant in his life and has brought focus and calmness to his life. He was fortunate enough to work with Victor Bassman for eight years in a small community of potters who gathered every Saturday and Sunday to create under the guiding eyes of Victor.
Doug’s vision for the WGA has been developing for many years and after four years in corporate life, it was time to put the vision into reality.
“I am excited to share my passion for clay and build a new artistic community in Wildwood. We are in the beginning of an interesting adventure that will be a tremendous benefit to our community”
DAVEN
President & Owner
Daven’s passion for community development has guided his 20 plus years in real estate investment. Born and raised in St. Louis, and a lifelong patron of the arts, Daven is no stranger to creative pursuits. You can find him performing as the Bubble Wizard, creating massive bubbles that delight audiences or playing the digeridoo and percussion at late night jam sessions.
Daven is excited about the possibilities of a creative space that can bring artists across the region together to uplift and brighten the city, and educate people in the creative and natural arts. Keep an eye out for future classes on gardening, composting, worm farming and more from Daven!
NATHAN GILBERG
Co-Founder & Musician
Nathan co-founded WGA with the idea that artists from different mediums have the ability to inspire each other and collaborate to create a community. A touring musician and audio engineer by trade, Nathan grew up in a household of painters, potters, piano players and aspiring cooks, and strives to recreate that environment in an arts community.
Over the past 17 years of live performance Nathan has performed or produced shows in all 48 of the continental United States and played with dozens of local and touring acts. In 2016 he joined River Kittens as bassist and occasional co-writer, playing on both their releases and touring coast to coast. Since 2018, Nathan has toured as the front of house mixing engineer for the Devon Allman Project/Allman Betts Band/Allman Family Revival family of bands, bringing high production rock and roll to amphitheaters and performing arts centers all over America.
Nathan Is an alumni of Webster University St. Louis and Berklee’s Boston campus.
KRISTINA FORST DAVIS
Studio Manager & Web Designer
Kristina attended Missouri State University, where she minored in art & advanced ceramics. After graduating in 2019 with a degree in Electronic Arts: Interactive New Media, Kristina moved from Springfield to Kirkwood, not far from her family in St. Charles. Since she has found her way a little closer to the studio, living in Ballwin.
After 2 years without a studio, Kristina found WGA in the spring of 2021. Being use to a rigorous college ceramic studio, with a heavy class workload, she has loved being apart of WGA's relaxed atmosphere and not being graded on her art. Kristina focuses on production artwork, which she sells on etsy. She is also runs her own design studio KFDdesign. She is a graphic designer, web designer, photographer, videographer and so much more! In January 2022, Kristina took over as the Studio Manager of WGA, revamped the Social Media pages and Created the Site you're on right now.
"In college, I always felt so attached to the things I made because most were big projects with a one of a kind peice of art. Friends and family are always asking for ceramics from me and I want people to have my artwork too. So now I work on making as many of my favorite pieces as possible. I would love to have a large scale ceramic brand someday."
ASHLEY NELSON-PARRISH
Education Director & Instructor
Ashley Nelson-Parrish is the Education Director at Wildwood Green Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Arts Management from Millikin University with an emphasis in Ceramics and & White Photography (2009) and a Master of Arts from Western Illinois University in Museum Studies (2011). She has worked with the Figge Art Museum (Davenport IA), Laumeier Sculpture Park (Saint Louis), Saint Louis Art Museum, and the Missouri History Museum with their education and visitor programs. She has also spent 7 years teaching ceramic classes and workshops at Laumeier Sculpture Park. Ashley currently resides in Ballwin MO with her husband and their three children. When not throwing on the wheel or hanging out with her family and friends, she enjoys yoga, paddleboarding, hiking, reading and being a foodie.
"I have over 15 years working with ceramics in educational, community, and professional settings. Clay has always been a therapeutic form of art for me. Centering a piece makes me focus on my inner mental and physical strength to manipulate the clay. While the rhythmic hum of the wheel transcends me into a deep focus, my only concern is the feeling of the clay and the beauty I am about to draw from it. Some of the most rewarding work I have done has been engaging with the staff and patrons of wonderful museums and organizations: the Figge Art Museum, Laumeier Sculpture Park, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, and Wildwood Green Arts. There is nothing more invigorating to me than working to foster vibrant, art-appreciating communities. Once my family life took off, I stayed home to raise my 3 children and my love of ceramics became my creative outlet. During the past 7 years I have taught ceramic classes, working out of my home studio, fulfilling commission requests, and creating pieces for consignment in galleries. Above all; I love sharing my passion for ceramics through teaching."