Karen Van Lenten

Karen Lenten taught ceramics for 35 years after moving to Florida in 1972. She began by taking classes with her mother and soon started teaching at a studio in Cooper City, offering classes for children after school as well as adult and senior sessions. Over the years she operated studios at Hollywood High School night courses and Century Village, where she worked with many seniors including those with disabilities. In 1994 she opened her own studio on Griffin Road, which she ran for five years with two employees while continuing to teach at other locations. After facing personal challenges that led to the loss of her business, she obtained her CAM license and managed community associations, including three buildings in Pine Tree Estates in Fort Lauderdale and later Sea Colony in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea for five years. She is now retired and lives in an apartment in the area.