July 6 - 8, 2022
From The Art Studio, Inc.:
“Everyone is familiar with the allure of making pottery. Iconic films like “Ghost” have embedded the process of making pottery in the mind of the public. From damp clay to fire to finished piece, the process is viewed as a romantic one, but it’s also a serious artform.
The Art Studio, Inc. (TASI) will host Gumbo Clayfest, a celebration of ceramic arts, July 6-8 at its facility, located at 720 Franklin St in downtown Beaumont. Clayfest is a public event involving demonstrations and workshops for those interested in making ceramics or just interested in watching the fascinating process.
Clayfest will feature five nationally-recognized ceramists who will demonstrate the different techniques for which they are known.
Admission is by donation only, in any amount.
There’s a reason behind this “pay what you feel” approach, and it has to do with the inclusive nature of ceramic arts.
“Clay is one of the oldest arts there is,” said Greg Busceme, TASI’s Executive Director. “It’s an art that is 20,000 years old. From cooking pots to drinking vessels to sculptures, it’s one of the first things human beings did once they harnessed fire and figured out how clay reacted with it. It was one of the things that made us human.”
Presenting artists include Clarion University’s Gary Greenberg; Patsy Cox, Professor of Visual Art at California State University, Northridge; Danielle Weigandt, a paper clay artist working in North Dakota; Stephen Wolochowicz, an Ogden UT artist who specializes in abstract industrial shapes with organic features; and Steven Erickson, a New York-based artist working with large-scale clay construction.
Workshops/demonstrations will include:
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Working with paper clay (think papier mache, but with clay)
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Constructing clay pieces with coils
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Decorative glazing (color painting on ceramics)
Gumbo Clayfest will begin each day at 9am and will end at the completion of projects. There is no registration needed.
“We’ll stop letting people in when we reach the fire code limit!” said Busceme.
This project was funded in part by the B.A. & E.W. Steinhagen Benevolent Trust through the Southeast Texas Arts Council.
Gumbo Clayfest is brought to you, in part, by Art Studio members, tenants, The Ceramics Store Houston and Armadillo Clay and Mayco Industries, Inc.
For more information, call TASI at 409-838-5393. For a complete list of participating artists, go to www.artstudio.org.”
On View: July 6, 2022 | 9 am – 5 pm
The Art Studio, Inc - TASI Gallery
720 Franklin Street
Beaumont, 77701 TX
409-838-5393
Get directions