Multicultural Vessel-making | Hand-building

Native American, Latin and South America, Caribbean, African, Greek, Asian

Celebrate Culture in Pottery

Explore the diversity of ceramic art from around the world. Hands-on programs celebrate specific cultures and time period. They may be adapted to your curriculum and can include Native American, African, Greek, Latin and South American, Caribbean, and Asian. The teaching style mirrors my college-level classrooms, it is challenging and fast paced. Students rise to the challenge.

This Day in Clay program allows each student to start a three-dimensional conversation with a culture rich in patterns, symbols, and imagery. Every student makes a classical clay vessel own clay vessel, a hand-made clay cup, bowl or vase employing a half-dozen advanced ceramic techniques, under my supervision.

Case Study: Native American

The Native American culture has always revered nature. The Day in Clay Native American theme can relate to a cultural awareness of sustainability and the cycles of nature — and be customized to meet the needs of your faculty and school’s curriculum.

I use posters and examples from my collection to illustrate cultural history, and the use of symbols and design in storytelling.

Imagery The excitement in the school’s art room is captured through photography. I provide a printed color poster and link to digital photo slideshow of the students finished work.

Preparatory Assignments / optional

Certain programs include fun preparatory assignments to create a familiarity with the cultural imagery and way-of-life within that culture. Sometimes it will be a 2D exercise.

Preface to the workshop

Classes in the Native American hand-building workshop can view a 20-minute documentary video on Pueblo Indian potter, Maria Martinez prior to the program. This will introduce students to Native American hand building techniques and life of a famous Native American

Preface for Workshop

The documentary creates a framework for students to participate in the Day in Clay hands-on workshop to follow.

Maria Montoya Martinez and her son, Popovi Da demonstrate how Pueblo Indian Pottery is made using traditional methods. Filmed in San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico.

Testimonials

Dear Cliff, Thank you so much for an amazing “Day in Clay”. The students loved it and so did Mrs. Krakoff and Mr. K. I knew they were into it when they both made their own pieces during the last class. This has by far been the most rewarding program I have brought to East Lake and I was overjoyed with the results. Thank you so much for all that you did for the students! They now have memories to last them a lifetime

Students were very motivated and engaged. Fast pace format kept students attentive and focused. He adapted the delivery of information to various audience and students.

Day in Clay is COVID-19 compliant with school districts in the tri-state area