Craft and Culinary Innovation at Bella Art Works Creative Café

Ceramics and ice cream? Yes!! Add to that incredible grilled cheese sandwiches and you’ve got a winning combination. Bella Art Works Creative Café, a beloved Yreka institution, has it all. But how did owner Talya Nicholson put these seemingly disparate elements together to create a thriving business and popular Siskiyou County destination?

Combining passions and town traditions

Talya says it all started with her friends Lizzy Martinez and Lisa Clyburn, original proprietors of Bella Art Works when it was housed in a building across the street from its current location. Lizzy and Lisa loved ice cream and when they saw the building across the street with an old-fashioned soda fountain was available, they couldn’t resist the opportunity to combine their two passions into one business.

They asked Talya’s mom, Jackie Sandford, to help as they created a ceramics studio and ice cream parlor combo. Two and a half years later, they asked Talya, who worked as a social worker for Siskiyou County child and adult protective services, if she would like to buy the business. Talya still marvels that she said “Yes.” She continued her work at the county while operating Bella Art Works for seven years, finally transitioning to a fulltime business owner three years ago. Her secret for success? Grilled cheese sandwiches!

In the beginning, Bella Art Works offered ceramics and fused glass classes, ice cream and pretzels and nachos. “Old timers talked about these ‘elite’ cheese sandwiches they used to get at the soda fountain and how much they loved them,” says Talya. So she decided to bring back grilled cheese sandwiches to the menu. But her ‘creative ADHD’, as she calls it, motivated Talya to craft cheese sandwiches with deliciously different ingredients, like her Peach-a-Palooza with peaches, Brie, prosciutto, hot honey and Havarti cheese, (which I can personally attest is a scrumptious combination.)

Award-winning sandwiches and craft ice cream

With the addition of innovative grilled cheese sandwiches, Bella Art Works Creative Café was born! Talya’s blackberry, bacon, Brie and jalapeno grilled cheese sandwich has been a regular on the menu since it won Judges Choice at the Sacramento Grilled Cheese Sandwich Festival in 2023. Last year she won People’s Choice overall at the festival – they liked ALL her grilled cheese sandwiches. “I never thought my legacy would be grilled cheese sandwiches,” Talya says. “But here we are.”

In addition to an array of tasty sandwiches, shakes, malts, banana splits, sundaes and more grace the menu. They are the only place in California that features creamy, rich, small batch BJ’s ice cream from Florence, Oregon.

Its’ been 10 years since Talya took the leap of faith and she keeps the creative juices flowing, frequently adding new kinds of classes and workshops, such as poured resin and clay and anything else that catches her interest. She recently added a private party room in which patrons can create and celebrate. Party packages include two hours in the private party space, a themed backdrop, beverages and a sundae bar, art materials, glazing and firing for all artists, a souvenir for the guest of honor, and set up and clean up. They also offer adult paint nights at The ­­­­Rex next door where parents can have a relaxing evening of creativity while enjoying a variety of beverages of their choice.

Building a creative community

“My goal when I moved to Siskiyou County in 2007 was to meet people,” Talya says. “But everyone is so spread out here, it’s hard to meet and hang out with people. So my thought was to offer classes and workshops that I was interested in and that others would be too, and that way I’d meet new people, they’d meet new people and new people in the area would be able to join the community.”

Talya’s community-building spirit doesn’t stop there. Through field trips and fundraisers for local schools and organizations, Bella Art Works Creative Café nurtures creative minds, young and old. They make fundraising simple by hosting painting events for good causes. Fundraising organizations receive 20% of all sales during the event.

They welcome field trips of all ages and sizes and all artists during fieldtrips receive a complimentary mini cone. They’ll even come to schools, bringing all materials for hours of creative learning and fun.

A creative break for you and your family anytime

Drop in at Bella Art Works Creative Café at 117 West Miner Street, anytime during their business hours Tues-Sat 11am-5:30pm and Sun & Mon, 12-4pm (closed Mondays in fall and winter) to let your child’s (or your inner child’s) creativity flow. Or take a break and come by yourself to paint a ceramic piece and, while your there, enjoy a cool treat or the specialty grilled cheese sandwich of the month. “It’s a nice way for parents to just disappear from everything else for a few minutes and do something creative,” Talya says.

Paint, firing and personal instruction are all included in the price of the ceramic piece. They help with set up and are there to offer advice and guidance. It takes seven to 10 days to dip a piece twice, fire it and be ready for pick up. What could be easier or more fun!! For more information, go to bellaartworks.net.

Writer bio: When her children were both finally off to preschool and kindergarten, Stacey had a few hours to do something for herself. Dance aerobics and ceramics class helped her de-stress and revive her creative heart.