David Hendley on thu 22 jul 99
It is our job, our duty, to let children know about clay.
And it will pay back dividends.
One of my potter friends in rural Arkansas goes to the school
every week to let the kids work with clay. He calls it
'subversion', and, you know, that's really accurate. If you
really connect with a kid and wake up a latent aesthetic sense,
he will never be the same. If not an artist, then at least an art
supporter and customer.
Dad will never realize what happened or why little Bubba would
forego watching The Simpsons to work on a sculpture.
For my part, for the last 6 or 8 years, I've been listed in the regional
Girl Scout's directory of merit badge activities. They are very greatful
for the support. I don't know how it is in other parts of the country,
but I am the only potter offering to do this in my area, and groups
travel 100 miles and more to come see what I do and make something
with clay. I'd like to encourge others to consider doing this.
It takes a couple of hours, but usually one or two of the leaders buys
a pot or two, and it is great advertising, so it can pay off literally as
well
as meeting the needs of kids who don't get a lot of opportunities to
do interesting stuff. It makes it that much better that my little class is
at a place where real work is produced, not a school. Lets them know
that it's still possible to create your own job.
I still haven't gotten up the courage to invite the Cub Scouts; I can't
shake this vision of a dozen 9-year-old boys wrestling in the
showroom. I do offer my services to area Boy Scouts who want to
earn the pottery merit badge, but only 2 guys besides my son have
ever asked to do it. It requires quite a bit of work and at least 3 trips
to the shop.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com
At 05:57 PM 7/20/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I recently read about Chinese potters aging clay ...not for week or months
>but for generations! The potters of the day were using clay reserved and
>stored by thier grandfathers...they wuld do likewise for their grandchildren
>Its called long term planning(investment).
>
>This seques into my idea about educating todays children about ceramics.
>My togei sensei (pottery master) has a contract with our city to supply all
>the clay and to fire and deliver the finished pieces to 50 elementary
>schools here.
>He holds a one day workshop for the art teachers at the schools (25 in AM
>and 25 in the afternoon). He has one type of clay and three glaze choices
>for the kids to use.
>
>They make one project per term (2 a year).
> It would seem that this type of grassroots effort might payoff in the long
>term for the potters of the US (or anywhere). Immediate profitability may
>not be great but it would undoubtedly create a substantial increase in
>awareness about clay with both teachers and kids (future educated customers).
>
>For those of you who have the capacity to hold small classes I think that
>for people like myself, ceramics offers a fine alternative to the high tech
>world in which many of us live...a low tech counterpoint to the world wide
web.
>
>DPC
>Daniel P. CONSIDINE, PhD
>Waseda University
>
>102 Century Mansion
>4-23-11 Irumagawa
>Sayama city 350-1305, Japan
>
>Phone/Fax +81 42-954-2401
>Cellular 090-8105-8750
>
Don & Isao Morrill on fri 23 jul 99
At 19:18 7/22/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>It is our job, our duty, to let children know about clay.
>And it will pay back dividends.
>One of my potter friends in rural Arkansas goes to the school
>every week to let the kids work with clay. He calls it
>'subversion', and, you know, that's really accurate. If you
>really connect with a kid and wake up a latent aesthetic sense,
>he will never be the same. If not an artist, then at least an art
>supporter and customer.
>Dad will never realize what happened or why little Bubba would
>forego watching The Simpsons to work on a sculpture.
>
>For my part, for the last 6 or 8 years, I've been listed in the regional
>Girl Scout's directory of merit badge activities. They are very greatful
>for the support. I don't know how it is in other parts of the country,
>but I am the only potter offering to do this in my area, and groups
>travel 100 miles and more to come see what I do and make something
>with clay. I'd like to encourge others to consider doing this.
>It takes a couple of hours, but usually one or two of the leaders buys
>a pot or two, and it is great advertising, so it can pay off literally as
>well
>as meeting the needs of kids who don't get a lot of opportunities to
>do interesting stuff. It makes it that much better that my little class is
>at a place where real work is produced, not a school. Lets them know
>that it's still possible to create your own job.
>
>I still haven't gotten up the courage to invite the Cub Scouts; I can't
>shake this vision of a dozen 9-year-old boys wrestling in the
>showroom. I do offer my services to area Boy Scouts who want to
>earn the pottery merit badge, but only 2 guys besides my son have
>ever asked to do it. It requires quite a bit of work and at least 3 trips
>to the shop.
>
>David Hendley
>Maydelle, Texas
>hendley@tyler.net
>http://www.farmpots.com
>
>
>
>At 05:57 PM 7/20/99 EDT, you wrote:
>>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>I recently read about Chinese potters aging clay ...not for week or months
>>but for generations! The potters of the day were using clay reserved and
>>stored by thier grandfathers...they wuld do likewise for their grandchildren
>>Its called long term planning(investment).
>>
>>This seques into my idea about educating todays children about ceramics.
>>My togei sensei (pottery master) has a contract with our city to supply all
>>the clay and to fire and deliver the finished pieces to 50 elementary
>>schools here.
>>He holds a one day workshop for the art teachers at the schools (25 in AM
>>and 25 in the afternoon). He has one type of clay and three glaze choices
>>for the kids to use.
>>
>>They make one project per term (2 a year).
>> It would seem that this type of grassroots effort might payoff in the long
>>term for the potters of the US (or anywhere). Immediate profitability may
>>not be great but it would undoubtedly create a substantial increase in
>>awareness about clay with both teachers and kids (future educated
customers).
>>
>>For those of you who have the capacity to hold small classes I think that
>>for people like myself, ceramics offers a fine alternative to the high tech
>>world in which many of us live...a low tech counterpoint to the world wide
>web.
>>
>>DPC
>>Daniel P. CONSIDINE, PhD
>>Waseda University
>>
>>102 Century Mansion
>>4-23-11 Irumagawa
>>Sayama city 350-1305, Japan
>>
>>Phone/Fax +81 42-954-2401
>>Cellular 090-8105-8750
>>
> Once upon a time at UWis, I was attemmpting to show a group of
local businessmen the value of an accelerator....they were unimpressed. I
explained that the large vacuum-pumps could be used to vacuum-plate over
1000 cheap earrings at one time....They were impressed and could see the
value of the equipment.
Once upon a time "Crafts " shows were free of admissions. I recall
the 1st Boston show: A great lump of clay for the childrens' play-area
where they could get clay-covered as well as make objects.
The value of any skill is that it may be adapted to uses other
than those of its original itent.
Relevance!
Don & Isao
Janet Kaiser on sun 25 jul 99
Quite agree with both David and Daniel...
Sunday, 25th July is the last day of National Gallery Week '99 here in the
UK. Co-ordinated by "engage" and sponsored by a lot of heavies, it was great
to see lots of galleries great and small taking part again this year.
Our input is a Kids Corner... not just this week but every week during
school holidays and weekends all year... The results are either taken
proudly home or put up "on exhibition" in the gallery. They are then filed
away and next time the child comes we can show his/her work.
This "tradition" now has children coming back in the third and fourth year.
Even "cool" teenagers are interested in seeing their past efforts and the
under 12s fight for room having dragged parents and grandparents in!! Now an
important part of a holiday in Wales for many visiting children, it is
encouraging to hear a lot of them "instructing" parents on the contemporary
and stretching ceramics and art on exhibition.
The very best reaction of all was a ten year old who came in and recognised
the work on exhibition was by Teena Gould who had worked with her school in
Wrexham. Teena is a real ceramics heavy and no way is her work pretty or
decorative... That child and her enthusiasm was so wonderful to see and
hear. She infected the whole gallery and had doubtful elders nodding sagely
and really looking at the work properly... not just dismissing it as "my six
year old could do better" sort of thing!
Oh! For the enthusiasm of youth well handled, nurtured and encouraged...
Keep up the good work all you subversive potters!!
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art, Criccieth, GB-Wales
Home of The International Potters Path
WEB: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
EMAIL: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: David Hendley
Date: 23 July 1999 00:16
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
It is our job, our duty, to let children know about clay.
And it will pay back dividends.
One of my potter friends in rural Arkansas goes to the school
every week to let the kids work with clay. He calls it
'subversion', and, you know, that's really accurate. If you
really connect with a kid and wake up a latent aesthetic sense,
he will never be the same. If not an artist, then at least an art
supporter and customer.
Dad will never realize what happened or why little Bubba would
forego watching The Simpsons to work on a sculpture.
For my part, for the last 6 or 8 years, I've been listed in the regional
Girl Scout's directory of merit badge activities. They are very greatful
for the support. I don't know how it is in other parts of the country,
but I am the only potter offering to do this in my area, and groups
travel 100 miles and more to come see what I do and make something
with clay. I'd like to encourge others to consider doing this.
It takes a couple of hours, but usually one or two of the leaders buys
a pot or two, and it is great advertising, so it can pay off literally as
well
as meeting the needs of kids who don't get a lot of opportunities to
do interesting stuff. It makes it that much better that my little class is
at a place where real work is produced, not a school. Lets them know
that it's still possible to create your own job.
I still haven't gotten up the courage to invite the Cub Scouts; I can't
shake this vision of a dozen 9-year-old boys wrestling in the
showroom. I do offer my services to area Boy Scouts who want to
earn the pottery merit badge, but only 2 guys besides my son have
ever asked to do it. It requires quite a bit of work and at least 3 trips
to the shop.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com
At 05:57 PM 7/20/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I recently read about Chinese potters aging clay ...not for week or months
>but for generations! The potters of the day were using clay reserved and
>stored by thier grandfathers...they wuld do likewise for their
grandchildren
>Its called long term planning(investment).
>
>This seques into my idea about educating todays children about ceramics.
>My togei sensei (pottery master) has a contract with our city to supply all
>the clay and to fire and deliver the finished pieces to 50 elementary
>schools here.
>He holds a one day workshop for the art teachers at the schools (25 in AM
>and 25 in the afternoon). He has one type of clay and three glaze choices
>for the kids to use.
>
>They make one project per term (2 a year).
> It would seem that this type of grassroots effort might payoff in the
long
>term for the potters of the US (or anywhere). Immediate profitability may
>not be great but it would undoubtedly create a substantial increase in
>awareness about clay with both teachers and kids (future educated
customers).
>
>For those of you who have the capacity to hold small classes I think that
>for people like myself, ceramics offers a fine alternative to the high tech
>world in which many of us live...a low tech counterpoint to the world wide
web.
>
>DPC
>Daniel P. CONSIDINE, PhD
>Waseda University
>
>102 Century Mansion
>4-23-11 Irumagawa
>Sayama city 350-1305, Japan
| |
|
