Meet Artist Leslie Thompson at Panama Art Factory

Published June 22, 2016 | By Elizabeth Weintraub

Artist Leslie Thompson created this giant teapot inspired by Genghis Kahn’s army.

Artist Leslie Thompson works in clay at the Panama Art Factory. Her creations are extraordinary and unique. I first noticed her work when I showed up to list a home I had sold to Leslie and her husband a while back over at Riverfront Plaza Condos. One room in her home featured rows of what appeared to be ancient plates from the Middle East. She spent 10 years or so in exotic places like Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.

Naively, I had asked how she managed to transport such incredible works of art back to the states. She glanced in my direction, not with a look of incredulous disbelief or even an air of superiority, like why didn’t I know this, and with a gentle smile creeping across her face, a smile of humility, she informed me rather matter-of-factly that she made those plates herself right here in Sacramento at the Panama Art Factory. I was stunned.

Sometimes I get too caught in Sacramento real estate to notice something like this. Leslie earned a BFA in the early 1970s, and for many years ran her own graphic design company in Grass Valley, until she spent 10 years in the Middle East teaching. There was a big gap of 40 years between her education and finally pursuing her dream of becoming a full-time artist. I keep hoping I will wake up some day and discover I have a hidden talent for art, but that’s never gonna happen. My best talents are my writing ability and people skills.

Artist Leslie Thompson maintains her art studio at the Panama Art Factory, and her show is continuing until early July. I could not help myself. I fell in love with everything I touched. Leslie’s work is immensely fascinating and captivating. Every piece is unique. While there might be similarities, the textures, colors and feel of every piece of art is different.

Quite frankly, she should be charging 10 times more than she does. I bought a couple of plates for my home, that I absolutely adore. It means more to me than any knickknack I dragged back from Cuba last year, where many of the pottery is produced over and over. If something sells or resonates well with tourists, Cubans will make the same identical piece, row upon row. Those pottery pieces from Cuba, even though handmade, are not really art. Not like the work of Leslie Thompson.

Go see for yourself. The Panama Art Factory is a large building with an interesting history all its own, at 4421 24th Street, right along the train tracks in Hollywood Park. It houses Leslie’s art studio, among many other artist studios, is an art gallery and a place where other artists gather for special events. Check out her work at Leslie Thompson Design.