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The Southern Highland Craft Guild will host its first Clay Day since 2019 on Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Folk Art Center. The free, outdoor event will take place on the lawn behind the center\u2019s auditorium and there will be hands-on activities and craft demonstrations in wheel-throwing, hand-building, raku firing, surface design and other clay techniques.<\/p>\n
Ann Gleason, a potter, sculptor and SHCG member, helps with the raku glazing at Clay Day. \u201cPeople can buy a pot and glaze it, then Steven Forbes will fire it in the raku kiln,\u201d she says. \u201cChildren and adults have a blast at Clay Day and many stay all day with us. After two years of COVID-19 canceling this fun event, I\u2019m really looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
For polymer artist Tamela Wells, Clay Day will be the first time since the pandemic began that she has publicly demonstrated her craft. \u201cUnless you can visit an artist\u2019s studio, you don\u2019t get to see how things are made,\u201d she says. \u201cClay Day features artists at work and can be inspirational to young folks. As a kid, I was fascinated by watching people making things and it probably shaped my choice of career as a maker. Since the Folk Art Center is home to the headquarters of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the community benefits by learning about the oldest craft guild in the US while also seeing today\u2019s artists at work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Craft lovers should also mark their calendars for the Guild\u2019s Mini Pop-up Fair at the Folk Art Center on Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.<\/p>\n