For Liz Proffetty, Southport Central School’s new art teacher, one thing comes first for what she wants students to take away from class.

“I want them to have a joy of creating,” she said. “I definitely want them to experience the joy of being creative and to appreciate all kinds of arts and on all levels.”

Proffetty, of Newcastle, will be overseeing the Thursday art classes for approximately 30 students. Although this will be her first year teaching at Southport Central School, she has previous experience throughout Lincoln County.

Proffetty moved from Portland, where she was a 1990 graduate of the Maine College of Art, to Damariscotta more than 20 years ago to put her degree in ceramics and print making to work at Damariscotta Pottery.

“I worked there for 18 years,” she said. “I am a potter; that’s why I came to the area.”

During her time in Damariscotta, she received her certification in elementary education and kindergarten through 12th grade art. Since her certification, Proffetty has taught art at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, Litchfield Schools, and in addition to Thursdays in Southport Proffetty is also currently teaching art at the Damariscotta Montessori School.

She said her decision to start teaching was natural progression after many years behind the potter’s wheel.

“I like the idea of sharing what I know about art,” she said. “After making art for so long I reached a level where I wanted to share my skills.”

She said she has also found that teaching has other benefits.

“For me, I believe that teaching art helps energize my own art,” Proffetty said. “So, during all that time I’ve also maintained my own ceramic studio in Newcastle, where I teach classes to kids and adults in the summer.”

Proffetty, whose studio is called Liz Proffetty Ceramics,  has shown her work throughout Maine and has even had national shows.

With her two careers in teaching and ceramics, new challenges have arisen for Proffetty, but she said that it was to be expected.

“My biggest challenge is finding a balance between a professional ceramics career and my desire to teach,” she said. “It is definitely challenging trying to balance my time between the two.”