Living Lake Pottery Night at Emerge

The Living Lake Project artist fellows recently traded their usual tools for clay.

We gathered at Emerge for an evening of hand building led by instructor Kelly. The challenge: build a tile-sized piece inspired by the layers of the watershed. Kelly walked everyone through the basics, then let the fellows run with it.

The night gave the artists a chance to step out of their normal studio practice and try a new medium. Many had never worked with clay before, so everyone was learning together.

Over the past several months, the fellows have explored the watershed from many angles: the animals that depend on it, the lake itself, the effects of mining, the cultures rooted in this place. This pottery night gave them a new way to take all of that in. Instead of talking about what they've learned, they pressed it, carved it, and stacked it into clay. Anything that inspired them was fair game.

Making something with our hands, next to people you're learning alongside, is a great way to slow down and let ideas settle. It was fun to see how differently each fellow approached the same prompt.

A big thank you to Kelly for guiding us, and to Emerge for hosting. We loved having the fellows in the studio together.