A local artist with a global lens, Marilyn Yakumithis brings heart, experience, and creative energy to her new role as manager of Sunshine Studios.
A Southview High School alum, Marilyn's artistic journey began in Northwest Ohio. She was inspired early by the late local art therapist Judy Dilloway, whose inclusive spirit still guides her today. At the Cleveland Institute of Art, Marilyn studied Sculpture and Jewelry + Metals (2011 - 2015), mentored by concept-driven professor Kathy Buszkiewicz, who taught her how to blend meaning with material.
After graduation, Marilyn spent several years in Chicago, serving as a studio monitor at Lillstreet Art Center, taking jewelry & metals classes, and mentoring in jewelry and metals.
In 2018, her passion took her abroad to Athens, Greece, for a residency at the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum, where her work is now featured in their permanent collection.
After moving back to Toledo in 2019, she taught an after school art program in Detroit and built a home metals studio with the help of two Toledo Arts Commission Accelerator Grants. Her work during this time was featured at New York Jewelry Week.
Now in Maumee, Marilyn is leading Sunshine Studios with a steady hand and open heart. While metalsmithing remains her favorite medium - especially the processes of saw piercing and lost wax casting in her personal work - she's eager to work with clay and support artists as they try new techniques. "I'm excited to help artists grow professionally," she says. "They do so much here, and I want to learn what drives each of them."
Stepping into the role once held by beloved artist Larry, Marilyn is committed to honoring the studio's legacy - preserving its spirit while helping it evolve.