ARTWORKS ANNOUNCES NEW CLAY STUDIO CLASSES
Artworks community craft and art center, headquartered in Chestertown, has issued its new schedule of clay workshops and classes at its studio now open at the Arts at Still Pond Station on Still Pond Creek in Worton. A variety of classes and an opportunity for independent work are available. New equipment, made possible by a generous donation, gives Artworks a first-class clay studio including a computerized kiln, slab roller, pug mill, and six pottery wheels.
Space at the former U.S. Coast Guard Station in Worton, now The Arts at Still Pond Station, lends itself well to the craft of pottery. Located ten minutes north of Kent County High School, Artworks has the only public clay facility on the Upper Eastern Shore.
“Total Beginner Potters Wheel” with Gia Campana is a four week class meeting on Saturdays from 9:30 to noon, beginning March 6. Learn the basics of “throwing” on the potters’ wheel: how to wedge and center clay and create classic forms such as vases, cups and bowls. Standard glazing and decorating techniques will be introduced.
”Continuing Potters Wheel” with Marilee Schumann will be an eight week class, with one session held on Tuesday evenings, 6-8:30 pm beginning Feb. 9 and a morning class beginning Wednesday, Feb. 10 , 9:30-noon. Small classes with personal attention allow you to progress at your own speed, creating decorative or functional pieces.
Another eight week course is “Hand Building/Sculpture” with Gia Campana, which will meet on Thursday evenings, 5:30-8:00 pm., beginning Feb. 18. A second class will be held on Fridays from 12:30 – 3 pm.
Artworks offers “Open Studio” sessions twice a week for students and artists work on their own with access to Artworks’ equipment and facilities. All enrolled students are entitled to free practice time during those sessions, usually Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
Artworks Clay Studio instructors are accomplished artists and teachers from the Eastern Shore. Marilee Schumann has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture from the University of Maryland and teaches at Washington College. She specializes in functional and decorative ceramic vessels with a contemporary style. She has exhibited widely and has received numerous awards.
Gia Campana earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. She has extensive teaching experience and also exhibits and creates commissioned works for private clients.
These classes are supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.
Full details on Clay Studio classes, fees, and instructors are available on the web site, www.artworkschestertown.org or call Artworks at 410-778-6300. Hours for the gift shop, office, and gallery are Wednesday through Friday, 12-3 and Saturday, 9-3.
Murphy's Law of Summer Gardens
by Cyndi Paxton Johnson
Almost every Spring I succumb to the allure of Earth, warmth and bounty. I buy endless seeds and plants, I dig beds, fertilize, and plan. I'm always so proud when the sprouts poke through the earth, announcing the plentiful abundance of things to come.
From there things go downhill for me. Some years, I don't transplant quickly enough, and the sprouts crumple like ice cream on a hot sidewalk. Other times I manage to transplant - but weather or birds quickly destroy my fledgling sprouts. Sometimes they just flatly refuse to grow (other times I forget they need regular watering - SHHH!).
This year I knew the deer and rabbits would attack my garden like hungry children after a birthday cake. I delayed my planting until we had installed a protective fence around the majority of my garden. I replanted my seedlings, added more fertilizer and watered every morning. Finally - I was going to have a bumper crop!!! I'd planted enough tomatoes and peppers to ensure we'd have salsa all year thru! (I lost a few plants to the construction workers, who dumped a load of dirt on them!)
And then I recalled that my husband ALWAYS refers to my spring planting frenzy as "the annual immediately to the gardening gods". First, my lovely tomatoes are all ROTTEN on the bottom. (I'm told I watered a bit TOO frequently). No problem - I'll stop watering everyday - and the REST of the tomatoes will be wonderful!
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