About
Learn about Railyard Arts Studio!
What We Offer
Our Studio Space
Railyard Arts Studio, located at 621 Route 22, Croton Falls, NY, is a vibrant and welcoming creative space just a short walk from the Croton Falls Train Station. Our space is a vibrant hub for artistic expression and community connection.
Designed with a vision to inspire and nurture creativity, Railyard Arts Studio features a spacious, fully equipped clay studio and a versatile art classroom, both of which cater to artists of all levels and disciplines. Our clay studio is a haven for pottery enthusiasts, offering 10 pottery wheels, designated rooms for both throwing and sculpting, and state-of-the-art facilities, including two kilns to fire creations to perfection. With over 20 house glazes available, artists are encouraged to experiment and bring their unique visions to life. Our multiuse art room and event space, filled with great natural light and equipped with easels, is where we hold painting, stained glass, drawing, pastel, and kids classes, along with seasonal workshops, offering an inspiring environment for artistic exploration.
Beyond our studio spaces, Railyard Arts Studio extends its welcoming atmosphere to a cozy lounge area, thoughtfully designed to be a space where visitors can relax, recharge, and connect with fellow artists. This inviting space is furnished with comfortable seating and features a kitchenette stocked with all the essentials, including a coffee, tea, and hot chocolate!
The lounge area also doubles as a boutique, showcasing a curated selection of artwork created by both local and resident artists. This boutique offers a unique opportunity for visitors to admire and purchase one-of-a-kind pieces.
Whether you’re here to create, learn, or simply soak in the artistic ambiance, Railyard Arts Studio provides a nurturing environment where creativity thrives, and artistic communities flourish.
Our Story
Railyard Arts Studio was founded by Jill Leary with the vision of creating a welcoming, inspiring, and relaxing space where individuals can collaborate and express their creativity through a variety of artistic mediums. Throughout the planning process, careful consideration was given to what type of environment would best inspire artists and the essential features the studio should provide.
As a result of this thoughtful brainstorming, the studio now offers the following features:
- Studios for creating different types of art in an open, casual and newly constructed sunlit setting.
- All the equipment and tools necessary to create the work they desire and to learn new skills and techniques.
- A place for artists to relax, talk, share ideas and inspire each other in a casual lounge space designed to create collaboration.
- A chance for artists of all skill levels to show off their work, both in person at gallery shows and on a digital platform. Both options to be available whether they wish to sell their art or just allow friends and family to see what they have created.
- An art education program that exposes children, teens and adults to various materials and mediums to introduce them to a vast array of ways to express their artistic talents.
- 24 hour access to studios to ensure artists can create as they wish while accommodating the never ending hectic schedules we all have.
- Social events like “Mud and Merlot”, “Art and Meditation”, “Paint and Sip” and a host of others designed to bring friends, both old and new, together and just have fun.
- And of course, a bottomless cup of coffee or tea from our in- house coffee bar for all to enjoy!
About Our Owner
Jill Leary, Founder & Owner
Jill Leary is a practicing artist and a New York State certified arts education teacher. She holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a concentration in Ceramics, and a Bachelor of Arts Education from Syracuse University, as well as a Master of Fine Arts.
Jill is the owner and creator of Railyard Arts Studio in Croton Falls, NY where she serves as its Director as well as a teacher and artist. Jill designed Railyard Art Studio after years working with other local artists who wanted a studio that could be a supportive and collaborative community where artists of all types and skill levels could express their individual creativity.
Jill began her career as an elementary art teacher for the Brewster Central School District in Brewster, NY. There, she designed the district’s Enrichment Creative Arts Program for children who had a greater interest in the arts and could be given an opportunity to expand on the usual school curriculum and further develop as artists.
After 11 years as a teacher, Jill left to focus her creativity on charity work and fundraising. She created the successful charity fundraiser “Crafts for a Cure” where, through children’s art programs and activities, she raised funds for childhood cancer research and was honored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for her incredible work. Jill also created “Healing Hugs Happy Hearts,” a non-profit program that collects thousands of handmade Valentine’s Cards made by local schools and workshops to deliver to hospital patients who have to spend the holiday in a bed. This program has been duplicated by other cities and school districts all over the greater NY area to great success.
Jill resides in Mahopac, NY with her husband and two daughters.
