About Linda and CaLinda's Pot Shop

I grew up on a farm in Platte County, Nebraska, where my grandparents and father homesteaded after immigrating from Switzerland.  My Swiss ancestry has richly developed my talents and personality and carry that over to my teaching and art.  

In 1978, I moved to a Nebraska Sandhills cattle ranch with my first husband and often portray my love of Nebraska in my landscape paintings.  Between riding horses, cooking for ranch help, haying and painting, I also raised 3 wonderful daughters.  

At first I joined art clubs and took any workshop I could find to enhance my artistic talents, later interviewing and being accepted onto the Nebraska Arts Council.  From there I created and implemented the Panhandle Visual Arts Program.  The program was designed to foster proper art concepts by visiting rural schools within an 80-mile radius for 10 weeks, teaching basic art disciplines. The program was so successful, it began a 25 year partnership with AiR program, continuing to teach in 57 schools in 7 counties of Nebraska over my tenure.  The AiR program also allowed me to teach adult art classes in local communities.  

Further on, I felt I needed to enrich my knowledge in the visual arts and decided to pursue a degree in Art from Chadron State College.  I thirsted for new knowledge and used that knowledge to inspire and build my new career.  

Life continued on with the marriage to my new husband, Cal Lacy.  Cal's father owned an old café in downtown Ashby, Nebraska, and I needed a place to set up shop with room for a Kiln and pottery wheel.  And that's how the Pot Shop Started! The old café turned into my shop and art gallery; at first keeping the renovations to a minimum.  At first I kept the 60's vibe of the old café, keeping the neat wood booths, vintage tables, bar with red stools and red and white tile floor.  I just decorated the shop with my pottery and paintings.  Over the years, we have made changes to the original café, including the name.  When I officially opened in 2004, my husband suggested we combine our two names for the shop, saying "if you pay the bills, you can use my name!"... CaLinda's Pot Shop came to be! 

Our newest addition is a handmade cedar countertop and Pergola. The countertop (made by Cal) envelopes my designed tiles visually "telling my story" to delight visitors! Also new is the serving of specialty coffees, like the "Cowgirl's Ride", and sundaes like the ever poplular, "Soapweed Squeeze!" And of course you must try our fun edible "Cowpies!"

CaLlinda's has been the home for numerous kids art camps with NAC grant support, adult workshops and many individual lessons.  Anyone can experience throwing on the pottery wheel or learning techniques in watercolor or other art fun!  I also continue to travel and teach workshops and host Sip and Stroke painting parties in communities across Nebraska, as well as act as art judge at local 4-H fairs, art centers as well as the  prestigious Alliance Carnegie Arts Center, for which I have also displayed as artist.

I hope you can stop in and visit soon! It's a one-of- kind!  Check out the video below to catch a glimpse of what I love to do.