Small Grant

My goal is to create new work focused on both wild clay from the North Shore and wild clay harvested at my family's century farm in Southern Mn. I will showcase my new work and share what I've learned w the Lake Superior Ceramics Guild. ; My goal is to study with two master potters I've followed for years. They are teaching an amazing class descibed bellow: Locally prospected clays, known as ?wild clays,? have been utilized for pottery-making for thousands of years. Join us in this workshop as we explore wild clay's potential as a clay body, slip, or glaze material. This workshop will provide an opportunity to discover the possibilities of materials found in your own surroundings. Let's craft together and enjoy this creative process of transforming the Catskills' wild clay into creative objects. Intermediate to advanced skills in wheel-throwing or hand building are appreciated. Test firings are planned. Takuro and Hitomi Shibata are Japanese ceramic artists who formerly resided in Shigaraki, Japan, and are currently based in Seagrove, North Carolina. Takuro holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Applied Chemistry from Doshisha University and is the director of STARworks Ceramics. I have had very successfully projects funded in the past through ARAC. The Craft Connections project was a huge success last year and is now funded through a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant this year. I'm requesting funding for this because I want to study with these masters and grow my personal and professional career, while engaging with local audiences showcasing my new body of work and sharing what I've learned.; I will present my works in a Showcase and Artist Talk. I will also present my work and the photos with my peers at the Duluth Art Institute, Lincoln Building. I will create an entirely new body of work based on the wild clay techniques I learn at the workshop.