Meet the Capitol Hill Artist is an occasional series on CHS documenting the lives of the artists behind the neighborhood’s galleries and arts venues.
By Ananya Mishra
“I’m here where I am now because of clay and clay is just dirt. It’s crazy to think about that.”
Gabe Virgen works 12 to 13 hours a day at his Capitol Hill business, Rain Ceramics. He is able to successfully live off of his passion by selling his ceramics, teaching pottery classes, and maintaining a studio for independent artists to work out of. As a solo entrepreneur, he is responsible for every aspect of the business, whether that’s reclaiming (recycling) clay, managing social media accounts, or cleaning up at the end of the day.
When he was younger, Gabe envisioned that he would work a salaried job with benefits. His parents immigrated to Olympia from Mexico in the 90s and often faced financial difficulties while he was growing up. Continue reading