Meet Victoria Steger | Owner & Studio Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victoria Steger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
At Forager, we believe creativity has the power to bring people together, spark joy, and inspire change. Our commitment to sustainability is at the heart of everything we do—from sourcing eco-friendly, low-waste materials to teaching techniques like natural dyeing, upcycling, and fiber arts that encourage a deeper connection to the materials we use. Crafting should be thoughtful, not wasteful, and we love helping people discover sustainable ways to create.

But beyond crafting, Forager is about community. We’re proud to be a part of Frogtown and East LA’s vibrant arts scene, collaborating with the Elysian Valley Arts Collective on events like the Frogtown Art Walk, where we help showcase local artists and makers. This year, we constructed a Día de Los Muertos altar with the artist MAJA to honor tradition, memory, and the rich cultural heritage of our neighborhood. Our studio also serves as a home for emerging and established artists alike, offering space for pop-ups, gallery shows, and creative gatherings that celebrate local talent.

Most importantly, we want Forager to be a place where everyone feels welcome—whether they’re picking up a paintbrush for the first time or have been crafting for years. We think of our studio as a third space for the community: a warm, inviting place to sit, create, and connect, with no pressure to spend money. To that end, we try to offer free or low-cost crafts on the weekend for folks to stop by and create for a while – things like collage, watercolor, or monoprinting, that are fun and accessible. We believe art is for everyone, and we’re here to make sure there’s always a seat at the table for those who want to explore, make, and share in the creative process.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Forager began with private events, and they continue to be the reason we’re able to keep our doors open and provide a space for the community. Seven years ago, I started as the creative events director at an art studio in Los Angeles, and it was there that I discovered just how much I love crafting meaningful experiences for teams, brands, and organizations. I dug into this niche, meeting clients whose missions aligned with ours—people who believe in sustainability, creativity, and the power of making something by hand. That work has been everything. From intimate team-building sessions to large-scale conferences with 1,000+ attendees, these events fuel Forager’s ability to exist, and they bring me so much personal & professional fulfillment.

Building Forager hasn’t always been easy. Running a small business—especially a creative one—means constantly balancing the work we love with the realities of keeping the lights on. But we’ve been lucky to work with companies, studios, brands, and museums we truly admire, creating workshops and activations that bring people together in a way that feels both joyful and intentional. It’s not just about crafting—it’s about giving teams and communities a way to slow down, collaborate, and connect through something tactile and real.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that creativity thrives in community. That’s why we’re so committed to keeping Forager accessible, whether it’s through our free and low-cost workshops, partnerships with organizations like EVAC, or simply offering a space where people can create without pressure to spend. But that’s only possible because of the private events that sustain us. Every time a company chooses to host a workshop with us—whether it’s a virtual event for a remote team or a hands-on activation at a major conference—they’re directly supporting an art space that gives back.

Forager exists at the intersection of craft, sustainability, and community, and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. Seeing people—whether they’re seasoned artists or total beginners—light up when they create something with their own hands is what keeps me going.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There’s so much to do in Frogtown that I’d honestly need a full week to show them everything!

Mornings could start at Just What I Kneaded for coffee and a pastry in their beautiful new cafe & patio space, or we could grab a latte from La Colombe, Happier Cafe by TADAA.Coffee, or Spoke Bicycle Cafe. You can get anywhere in Frogtown with a walk or a bike ride along the LA River Bike Path, which is slowly being rewilded and is such a great reminder that things can sometimes change for the better.

After coffee, I’d recommend an art workshop at Forager or a ceramics class at Sooki Studio, Cobalt & Clay, or Claytivity. If we took a ceramics class, it would also be a must to stop by the Bauer Pottery showroom to check out their pieces & get inspired.

For an easy afternoon, I’d recommend renting bikes at Spoke Bicycle Cafe, grabbing lunch and a drink, then cruising along the river. Or, we’d grab an art kit from Forager and hang out by the water, crafting along the water’s edge. A trip to the Left Bank or Hotspells is a must if you’re in the mood for shopping. And we’d definitely need to make time for a beer at Frogtown Brewery, which hosts a ton of fun events, has a rotating list of amazing beers & seltzers, and is a a pillar of community in the neighborhood.

For happy hour, Lingua Franca is always a good call, or Justine’s Wine Bar if you’re in the mood for natural wine & some of the best vegan food in the city. You can’t go wrong with Loreto or Salazar for dinner and drinks, and you’d need to plan at least one night at Zebulon for live music, dancing, and a drink at the bar. All that, and I’m sure I’m forgetting something!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Forager wouldn’t exist without my dad. He built a small business over thirty years with determination, care, and a deep sense of responsibility—not just to our family, but to the many other families who relied on it for their livelihood. Watching him work (seemingly tirelessly – though now I know better), I learned that a business can be more than just a way to make a living; it can be a foundation for something greater. His ability to create stability and opportunity for others showed me what it means to build with intention and to always make sure that everyone gets a seat at the table. That’s what I’ve tried to bring to Forager: a space where creativity and community go hand in hand, where people can come together to make something meaningful, and where craft is more than an art form—it’s a way of connecting.

I also owe so much to the creative community in Frogtown and East LA. The artists, makers, and small business owners here are endlessly inspiring, and their willingness to collaborate, share, and uplift each other is what makes this neighborhood so special. We’ve been lucky to work closely with the Elysian Valley Arts Council (EVAC), which does incredible work fostering creativity and cultural engagement in the area. Events like the Frogtown Artwalk bring artists and neighbors together in a way that feels rare in a city as big as LA. From hosting local pop-ups and gallery shows to constructing a Día de Los Muertos altar that honors our community’s loved ones, Forager is rooted in the idea that art is meant to be shared. We believe in making space for creativity—not just for those who see themselves as artists, but for anyone who wants to explore, connect, and make something with their hands. We keep our workshops and art supply prices accessible to all (and as often as possible, at no cost at all), because we truly want folks to be able to keep art in their lives as a daily or weekly practice – even though times are tough for all of us right now.

At the end of the day, my dad’s business gave people security. Forager gives people space to create. And both, in their own way, are about building something bigger than yourself.

Website: https://www.foragercrafts.com

Instagram: foragercrafts

Facebook: foragercrafts

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/forager-crafts-los-angeles

Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/forager-crafts-69371876543