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OUTSTANDING WOMEN OF VALENCIA COUNTY
Janice Pacifico
Janice Pacifico is a potter, and educator and owner of Tomé Art Gallery.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in art education from the College of New Rochelle, 1964; a Master of Science in art education with a concentration in ceramics from the Pratt Institute, 1969; full-time study of ceramics on a Max Beckman scholarship, the Brooklyn Museum Art School 1965.
She is married to George Ridgeway; and her children are Dr. Christine Weidmann Wilson and Jeffrey Weidmann, L.Ac, Arrick Ridgeway, Amanda Ridgeway and Lucas Romero-Ridgeway; and grandchildren, Drake Wilson, Einin Wilson, Stella Weidmann, Kira Ridgeway, Ava Rubio, Bodhi Lovato, Luna Lovato, Lilly Crespin and Athena Romero-Ridgeway.
She is a member of the UNM-Valencia Development Board, faculty advisor for UNM-Valencia Mud Daubers club, and managing member and treasurer at Tomé Art Gallery.
What advice do you have for aspiring women looking to advance their careers?
“Believe in yourself. Take the risk, but do the work of researching the pros and cons. Don’t gossip about anyone. Always be supportive and kind but stand your ground when you need to.”
What gets your creative juices flowing?
“My work itself is creative, but I draw my inspiration from many places. Students open my eyes to lots of new ideas, nature provides endless inspiration, books, museums, magazines — all give me a fresh perspective. Keeping my eyes open and my radar on, allows inspiration from the most unexpected places.”
What is the biggest challenge and most rewarding aspect of your profession?
“As I age, the biggest challenge of my profession is the physicality involved: lifting 50 pound bags of clay, loading kilns and maintaining my health. The most rewarding aspect is when students tell me that pottery has changed their lives or a customer tells me that a piece of my pottery brings them daily joy.”
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Do you enjoy your job as much today as when you started?
“Yes, even more each day!! I keep learning and finding new ways to make things interesting. I learned early on to “diversify”, so I teach, make and sell my work, and participate in the running of a co op gallery. Shifting gears makes for ever-changing and exciting new ventures.”
If you could say one thing to your younger self or give them one piece of advice what would it be?
“Make sure you plan for your retirement. If you love your work as much as I do, you may never actually retire, but one never knows what life has in store for you.”
What motivates your community involvement and being an active presence in the community?
“I feel as though my life has been blessed with security, opportunity and privilege. Everyone deserves that, so I try to do what I can to make that happen.”
