mel jacobson on fri 16 jul 99
all the years i taught, i kept a picture on the wall next to the
entrance of the clay room. it was of a wonderful black african
woman sitting on the ground making a coil pot. the pot was a perfect
orb, and about 30 inches round.
i believe that i got the picture from a 1962 national geographic...it was
a full page picture. not sure, just got it, and i loved it...it was a symbol
for me as to the root of what making pots is all about. the human hand
with clay in it...smoothing, shaping, creating. a pot to be used, a pot
that helps one survive...made to keep water, food, to store things for
the next season.
new kids would ask about the picture and the veterans would explain...
`that is mrs. mugamba, she is a potter, she is our hero. when you can
make pots that good, with your hands, you get an a+, written with a gold
pen, with gold ink.`
often i would hear the kids that have been around for a long time mutter
in the morning...`good morning mrs. mugamba, how's your pot coming along?`
the most important element in teaching kids about craft, in my opinion,
is total respect for the material. the love and care of the clay. it is the
root, the beginning. if one does not respect the clay, how can you respect
the pot, or the potter.
kids did not fling clay around the room, for that was disrespect of the
material.
they stored boxes of clay in their lockers, behind cupboards, they kept it
in the trunks of cars...but they did understand that aged, cared for clay
made great pots and that was the goal....great pots. crafted by hand.
i have often laughed at the contemporary social worker, counselor concept
of building image in kids....it cannot be done with the mouth, it has to done
with reality. when kids have success, can make something, do something,
their image of themselves improves. when they fail constantly, their images
fail with them. that cannot be faked.
you can watch with your own eyes as kids master a new skill in the clay
room. you can watch their smiles as the pot grows in their fingers....you
can help and assist that process with good instruction, but you cannot
do it for them....just assist. it matters not what social class they are in,
what gender, how big or small....craft is a common thing, crosses all
boundaries.
i wonder how many times i have heard `hey, mel, did you fire my pots yet?`
or, `hey, mel, did you see my cool pots that just came from the kiln?`
`yes, yes, i saw them, nice work. now, get them home to your family..` and
off they would go to their lockers, pots jingling in a clay box. happy kid.
it saddens me a great deal to see all the `hands on` classes in schools
getting cut from programs all over america....and we listen to the math and
science folks talking as if they invented `hands on` programs.
i love the quote, `hands on, brains on`. i think all of us on this list
understand
that a great deal.
well, anyway, mrs. mugamba still hangs in my studio. i brought her home
with me when i retired. she is still the symbol to me as to what clay is all
about. `a wonderful black woman, sitting on the earth, using her hands
with the clay, and only her hands, making a pot for all time.`
mel/mn
my kiln is just starting...a hot day, a hot kiln.
still excites me...can't wait to open it.
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
from minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a.
Tim Skeen on sun 18 jul 99
Thank You Mel for the story... I have a picture of Marie Martinez hanging
in my studio. When I coil a pot I look at her and hopes she likes it...
Modern teachers are great but the wisdom and experience of our elders and
ancestors makes a pot sing.
Cheers to these wonderful women!
Audrey
mailto:t.askeen@worldnet.att.net
http://t.askeen.home.att.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU]On Behalf
Of mel jacobson
Sent: Friday, July 16, 1999 11:26 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: mrs. mugamba(a story)
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
all the years i taught, i kept a picture on the wall next to the
entrance of the clay room. it was of a wonderful black african
woman sitting on the ground making a coil pot. the pot was a perfect
orb, and about 30 inches round.
i believe that i got the picture from a 1962 national geographic...it was
a full page picture. not sure, just got it, and i loved it...it was a symbol
for me as to the root of what making pots is all about. the human hand
with clay in it...smoothing, shaping, creating. a pot to be used, a pot
that helps one survive...made to keep water, food, to store things for
the next season.
new kids would ask about the picture and the veterans would explain...
`that is mrs. mugamba, she is a potter, she is our hero. when you can
make pots that good, with your hands, you get an a+, written with a gold
pen, with gold ink.`
often i would hear the kids that have been around for a long time mutter
in the morning...`good morning mrs. mugamba, how's your pot coming along?`
the most important element in teaching kids about craft, in my opinion,
is total respect for the material. the love and care of the clay. it is
the
root, the beginning. if one does not respect the clay, how can you respect
the pot, or the potter.
kids did not fling clay around the room, for that was disrespect of the
material.
they stored boxes of clay in their lockers, behind cupboards, they kept it
in the trunks of cars...but they did understand that aged, cared for clay
made great pots and that was the goal....great pots. crafted by hand.
i have often laughed at the contemporary social worker, counselor concept
of building image in kids....it cannot be done with the mouth, it has to
done
with reality. when kids have success, can make something, do something,
their image of themselves improves. when they fail constantly, their images
fail with them. that cannot be faked.
you can watch with your own eyes as kids master a new skill in the clay
room. you can watch their smiles as the pot grows in their fingers....you
can help and assist that process with good instruction, but you cannot
do it for them....just assist. it matters not what social class they are
in,
what gender, how big or small....craft is a common thing, crosses all
boundaries.
i wonder how many times i have heard `hey, mel, did you fire my pots yet?`
or, `hey, mel, did you see my cool pots that just came from the kiln?`
`yes, yes, i saw them, nice work. now, get them home to your family..` and
off they would go to their lockers, pots jingling in a clay box. happy kid.
it saddens me a great deal to see all the `hands on` classes in schools
getting cut from programs all over america....and we listen to the math and
science folks talking as if they invented `hands on` programs.
i love the quote, `hands on, brains on`. i think all of us on this list
understand
that a great deal.
well, anyway, mrs. mugamba still hangs in my studio. i brought her home
with me when i retired. she is still the symbol to me as to what clay is
all
about. `a wonderful black woman, sitting on the earth, using her hands
with the clay, and only her hands, making a pot for all time.`
mel/mn
my kiln is just starting...a hot day, a hot kiln.
still excites me...can't wait to open it.
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
from minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a.
Carenza Hayhoe on sun 25 jul 99
For years I have had a note pinned up in my workshop "Potting is grown-up
mudpies". To those who frown and are sadly too grown-up to understand
without explanation I say "Have you ever watched the expression of a child
making mud pies? I take my potting as seriously as that!" And to children
I say "I won't have children in my work shop, only fellow potters of any
age". I love having young potters around and I have yet to have a child
misbehave in my workshop, or break anything in my gallery (when I had one).
I wish I could say the same of adults!
And many thanks to those who sent in solutions to "the still centre of the
turning world" - I was demonstrating yesterday and quoted it yet again.
As a new comer to ClayArt a big thank you to all of you for the information
so generously shared and even more, for the sense of companionship -
potting can sometimes be a lonely business!
Carenza
At 11:26 16/07/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>all the years i taught, i kept a picture on the wall next to the
>entrance of the clay room. it was of a wonderful black african
>woman sitting on the ground making a coil pot. the pot was a perfect
>orb, and about 30 inches round.
>
>i believe that i got the picture from a 1962 national geographic...it was
>a full page picture. not sure, just got it, and i loved it...it was a symbol
>for me as to the root of what making pots is all about. the human hand
>with clay in it...smoothing, shaping, creating. a pot to be used, a pot
>that helps one survive...made to keep water, food, to store things for
>the next season.
>
>new kids would ask about the picture and the veterans would explain...
>`that is mrs. mugamba, she is a potter, she is our hero. when you can
>make pots that good, with your hands, you get an a+, written with a gold
>pen, with gold ink.`
>
>often i would hear the kids that have been around for a long time mutter
>in the morning...`good morning mrs. mugamba, how's your pot coming along?`
>
>the most important element in teaching kids about craft, in my opinion,
>is total respect for the material. the love and care of the clay. it is the
>root, the beginning. if one does not respect the clay, how can you respect
>the pot, or the potter.
>
>kids did not fling clay around the room, for that was disrespect of the
>material.
>they stored boxes of clay in their lockers, behind cupboards, they kept it
>in the trunks of cars...but they did understand that aged, cared for clay
>made great pots and that was the goal....great pots. crafted by hand.
>
>i have often laughed at the contemporary social worker, counselor concept
>of building image in kids....it cannot be done with the mouth, it has to done
>with reality. when kids have success, can make something, do something,
>their image of themselves improves. when they fail constantly, their images
>fail with them. that cannot be faked.
>
>you can watch with your own eyes as kids master a new skill in the clay
>room. you can watch their smiles as the pot grows in their fingers....you
>can help and assist that process with good instruction, but you cannot
>do it for them....just assist. it matters not what social class they are in,
>what gender, how big or small....craft is a common thing, crosses all
>boundaries.
>
>i wonder how many times i have heard `hey, mel, did you fire my pots yet?`
>or, `hey, mel, did you see my cool pots that just came from the kiln?`
>`yes, yes, i saw them, nice work. now, get them home to your family..` and
>off they would go to their lockers, pots jingling in a clay box. happy kid.
>
>it saddens me a great deal to see all the `hands on` classes in schools
>getting cut from programs all over america....and we listen to the math and
>science folks talking as if they invented `hands on` programs.
>
>i love the quote, `hands on, brains on`. i think all of us on this list
>understand
>that a great deal.
>
>well, anyway, mrs. mugamba still hangs in my studio. i brought her home
>with me when i retired. she is still the symbol to me as to what clay is all
>about. `a wonderful black woman, sitting on the earth, using her hands
>with the clay, and only her hands, making a pot for all time.`
>mel/mn
>
>my kiln is just starting...a hot day, a hot kiln.
>still excites me...can't wait to open it.
>
>
>
>
>
>http://www.pclink.com/melpots
>from minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a.
>
>
>
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