Clay Studio to host Clay Club

October 10, 6:30-8:30 pm
Wednesday evening

Please join Black Mountain Center for the Arts Clay Studio in welcoming a Clay Club evening.  Everyone is welcome!!!

This is a pot luck, so please bring some food and beverages.  We can also use some paper goods (sign up in studio so we don't get duplicates!)

Demonstrations will follow our getting to know each other and eating.  Charles Freeland has offered to show his canister making process.  If you'd like to demonstrate a technique in clay, please let Charles know.

The Western North Carolina Clay Club is made up of potters who gather to connect with other potters.  They usually meet the 2nd Wed. of the month.  More information about Clay Club can be obtained by checking out their blog at NC CLAY CLUB


BMCA Clay Studio is a teaching studio, as you can see by exploring more of this blog.  Our students enjoy working in our comfortable studio daily in classes or open studios.  We especially like being a community of people interested in clay.

BMCA Clay Studio class schedule and info

Fall Press Release:         

BMCA CLAY STUDIO

Discover your connection with clay! We will take you step-by-step through all aspects of either hand-building/sculptural work or wheel-throwing. Both avenues will also include the firing & glazing process. Your clay class registration allows you to come for all Open Studio sessions to practice or work on your current projects. Class sizes are limited. Register with Rita in the BMCA office (Main Building). 

The 6-week sessions are $135 (for tuition & Open Studio) + lab fee of $35 (for clay, glazes, firing).

IF you are already an experienced potter, you may inquire about the application process to be in our Independent Study program, a non-production option/$100 for six weeks; clay extra.

FALL 2012 CLAY STUDIO SCHEDULE

Classes are scheduled September 8  – October 19, and October 27  - December 14

Six-Week Classes ( Some classes have min/max enrollment requirements and registration deadline ) 

Monday      

• 1 - 4 pm    Open Studio    -      Pat Levi 

•           6 - 8 pm     Adult Wheel Class  - Cathy Babula  

Tuesday 

       10 am - noon               Adult Wheel Class                        Charles Freeland

       12 – 4 pm                   • Open Studio •                           Charles Freeland

                           

Wednesday

       6 - 9 pm                 • Open Studio •                     Charles Freeland

Thursday      

       1 – 4 pm                 • Open Studio •                     Barbara Rogers

       4 - 6 pm                 Ongoing Wheel Class            Geoff Bird

                        (this class begins on rolling basis; check with BMCA office)

       6 – 8 pm                 • Open Studio •                     Charles Freeland

Friday

        2 – 4 pm                   • Open Studio •                      Barbara Rogers

Saturday       

10 – 12 pm   ABSOLUTE BEGINNER CLASS     Charles Freeland

12 pm – TBA              • Open Studio •                          Blair McKee

                                                                                                                  

  Sunday

         3 –5 pm                 • Open Studio •                     Blair McKee

                                                                                            

Tuition: $135 + $35 Lab Fee for 25 lbs. clay, glazes and firing.  Special Classes Tuition may vary.

• BlackMountainArts.org • 828/669-0930 •   

225 W. State Street

Black Mountain, NC 28711

8.26.12

BMCA Clay Studio Fall Classes September - December (2012)

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts Clay Studio is offering two fall sessions of six-week classes beginning Saturday, September 8, and Saturday October 27.  The first session will end the week of October 19, and the second session will end December 14.  Classes for Adults are offered on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

For the true clay novice the class offered is Absolute Beginner Adult clay class.  It will meet for six weeks on Saturday mornings from 10 to noon, September 8 – October 13.  Students will be guided through all the steps of learning about the possibilities of clay, then hand building lessons and finally approaching the wheel.  At the end of the class, these students will be prepared to join another Adult Clay class with the basics learned.  Charles Freeland, BMCA Clay Studio Manager, will conduct this class for a minimum of three students and a maximum of ten.

For those wanting an evening class they can attend after work but be home before it’s late, local potter Cathy Babula teaches beginner-to-experienced students on Mondays from 6-8 pm, September 10 – October 15.  Other class times are available on Tuesdays from 10 to noon, September 11 – October 16, with Freeland teaching for experienced students, and an ongoing class on Thursdays from 4-6 pm with local potter Geoff Bird of Morning Sky Pottery teaching beginner to advanced students.  The classes with Babula and Freeland are date specific; Bird’s class can be joined at any time for six sessions. As in all Adult Clay classes, the tuition is $170 that includes 12 hours of lessons, lab fee for clay, glazes and firing, and a schedule of Open Studio practice times each week.

For experienced potters who are not looking for instruction or a production studio, another option is an Independent Study class.  Students are on their own, so must be approved by the Studio Manager.  Their tuition of $100 covers six weeks of studio time during Open Studio hours, plus glazing and firing.  Clay is an additional cost.

Freeland and other teachers offer private lessons at $25 per hour, with no Open Studio time available.

Babula, Bird, and Freeland are all well-trained, experienced potters whose classes cover all aspects of working with clay, including both hand-building and wheel-throwing, glazing and firing.

To register or for more information, come by the Center, located at 225 W. State Street, or call 828/669-0930.  The BMCA Clay Studio is located adjacent to the Center at the Dougherty St. parking lot.

Press release Summer 2012

   

           225 W. State Street

          Black Mountain, NC 28711

     828/669-0930

     www.blackmountainarts.org

BMCA CLAY STUDIO

Upcoming

July 23 – August 31, 2012

6-WEEK ADULT CLASSES:

Mondays, 6-8 pm – w/ Cathy Babula

Tuesdays, 10 am-12 pm – w/ Charles Freeland

Thursdays, 4-6 pm – w/ Geoff Bird

ABSOLUTE BEGINNER CLASS – w/ CharlesFreeland

Fridays, 12 – 2 pm

All Tuition:  $135 + $35 lab fee

Includes Open Studio practice

+

INDEPENDENT STUDY for Approved Experienced Potters

$100 for 6 weeks during Open Studios – Clay extra

Clay studio 2012 July-August

BMCA Clay Studio Summer Classes July - August (2012)

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts Clay Studio is beginning a new set of six-week classes on Monday, July 23.  This session will end the week of August 31.  Classes for Adults are offered on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, along with Drop-In Clay Days for school ages through adults on certain Wednesdays.

For the true clay novice the class offered is Absolute Beginner Adult clay class.  It will meet for six weeks on Friday mornings from 10 to noon, July 27 – August 31.  Students will be guided through all the steps of learning about the possibilities of clay, then hand building lessons and finally approaching the wheel.  At the end of the class, these students will be prepared to join another Adult Clay class with the basics learned.  Charles Freeland, BMCA Clay Studio Manager, will conduct this class for a minimum of three students and a maximum of ten.

For those wanting an evening class they can attend after work but be home before it’s late, local potter Cathy Babula teaches beginner-to-experienced students on Mondays from 6-8 pm, July 23 – August 27.  Other class times available are on Tuesdays from 10 to noon, July 24 – August 28, with Freeland teaching for experienced students, and an ongoing class on Thursdays from 4-6 pm with local potter Geoff Bird of Morning Sky Pottery teaching beginner to advanced students.  The classes with Babula and Freeland are date specific; Bird’s class can be joined at any time for six sessions. As in all Adult Clay classes, the tuition is $170 that includes 12 hours of lessons, lab fee for clay, glazes and firing, and a schedule of Open Studio practice times each week.

Babula is new to teaching at the BMCA Clay Studio.  From a dream in high school to taking classes at the BMCA Clay Studio beginning in 2008 to recently completing the 2-year Associates Degree in the Professional Crafts-Clay program at Haywood Community College, she has journeyed on a path to becoming a professional potter and clay teacher.  Her work is currently on display at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway as part of the graduate exhibit from HCC through September 2.  By using her horticulture degree from SUNY to inspire her surface designs on clay pots, and using her experience as a corporate trainer in her teaching style, she has learned to combine her creative talents and her love of teaching in the clay classroom.

For experienced potters who are not looking for instruction or a production studio,  another option is an Independent Study class.  Students are on their own, so must be approved by the Studio Manager.  Their tuition of $100 covers six weeks of studio time during Open Studio hours, plus glazing and firing.  Clay is an additional cost.

On Wednesdays, July 11 and 25 and August 1, the Studio will be open from 10 am – 4 pm for Drop-In Clay Day.  For a 2-hour minimum, anyone school age and up can enjoy getting their hands in clay for hand building and underglazing.  Cost is $30.  Elise Reed and Charles Freeland will lead the Clay Day classes.  Register in the BMCA Office.

To register or for more information, come by the Center, located at 225 W. State Street, or call 828/669-0930.  The BMCA Clay Studio is located adjacent to the Center at the Dougherty St. parking lot.

Ceramics sale for Art in Bloom

Where can you purchase hand crafted art in clay and know you're also supporting the Art Center?

Come to the main floor of the Black Mountain Center for the Arts Sat. June 16  (only day left in this sale)

Student work doesn't mean just early work as ceramic artists begin to explore how clay can be formed.  These potters and sculptors have skills, inspiration, and have created just the things that people come to Black Mountain to see.

And did I mention the gallery exhibit has the Art in Bloom show upstairs?  This sale offers a souvenir to remember your experience.

Of course volunteers are there to help you, and show you the pots they made themselves.  This is like most pottery sales, only everything comes from one community studio.

Some slightly different pictures have just been posted on my personal blog blackmtnbarb.blogspot.com

 

 I hope you can see this show.  It's dynamite and kind of a secret...but now you know about it.

Summer NEWS

BMCA CLAY STUDIO 

SUMMER CLASS SCHEDULE

Discover your connection with clay! We will take you step-by-step through all aspects of either hand-building/sculptural work or wheel-throwing. Both avenues will also include the firing & glazing process. Your clay class registration allows you to come for all Open Studio sessions to practice or work on your current projects. Class sizes are limited. Register with Rita in the BMCA office (Main Building). 

The six-week sessions are $135 + lab fee of $35 (covers clay, glazes, firing).

IF you are already an experienced potter, you may inquire about the application process to be in our Independent Study program, a non-production option/$100 for six weeks; clay extra.

Classes are scheduled June 4 – July 13, and July 23  - August 31

JULY 16-20 is ADULT CLAY CAMP, 9-noon w/ Maureen Joyce

Six-Week Classes ( Some classes have min/max enrollment requirements and registration deadline )

Monday   

         1 - 4 pm                        • Open Studio •                                       Pat Levi

          6 - 8 pm                       Adult Wheel Class                          Cathy Babula  

Tuesday 

       10 am - noon               Adult Wheel Class                        Charles Freeland

       12 – 4 pm                   • Open Studio •                           Charles Freeland

                           

Wednesday

        10 am – 4 pm          Drop-In Summer Clay Day*              Elise Reed

       6 - 9 pm                 • Open Studio •                     Charles Freeland

Thursday      

       1 – 4 pm                 • Open Studio •                     Barbara Rogers

       4 - 6 pm                 Ongoing Wheel Class            Geoff Bird

                        (this class begins on rolling basis; check with BMCA office)

       6 – 8 pm                 • Open Studio •                     Charles Freeland

Friday

       12 – 2 pm   ABSOLUTE BEGINNER CLASS     Charles Freeland

        2 – 4 pm                   • Open Studio •                      Barbara Rogers

Saturday       

       10 am – 1 pm                 • Open Studio •                          Blair McKee

                                                                                                                   

  Sunday

         3 –5 pm                 • Open Studio •                     Blair McKee

                                                                                            

Tuition: $135 + $35 Lab Fee for 25 lbs. clay, glazes and firing.  Special Classes Tuition may vary.

*Drop-in Summer Clay Day $15 per hour, 2 hour min.  No Open Studio. Call Office for details.

• BlackMountainArts.org • 828/669-0930 •    225 W. State Street

                                                                             

NEW TEACHER: Cathy Babula

Cathy Babula has lived in Black Mountain for over 30 years. Her love of pottery began in high school where she focused primarily on hand built work. Bypassing her secret dream of becoming a potter, she pursued a degree in horticulture from the State University of NY instead. Eventually she left both pottery and horticulture behind, securing a career as a corporate trainer for over 15 years.

In 2008 Ms. Babula felt the creative urge again, and took pottery classes at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts concentrating on wheel throwing. Spending time with gifted instructors and the welcoming community at the Center rekindled her dream of being a professional potter. She enrolled in the Professional Crafts- Clay program at Haywood Community College in 2010, graduating with an Associate’s Degree in May of this year.

Ms Babula has sold work at the Southern Highlands Craft Guild shows, Sourwood Festival, and Art in Bloom among other venues. Her work is also on exhibit at the Mudfire Gallery in Atlanta until June 2nd, and at the Folk Art Center as part of the Haywood Graduate Show until September 2nd.

Since plants and nature motifs are prevalent in her decorating, Ms. Babula feels she has come full circle by merging her original interests of pottery and horticulture. Teaching classes at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts allows her to combine her creative talents with her love of teaching, and she is looking forward to sharing her knowledge, and enthusiasm about pottery with others.                                              

Clay Camp

 Clay Studio

    ADULT CLAY CAMP

                

   Maureen Joyce   demonstrating a clay technique                           teaching one-on-one

Wheel Throwing – Hand Building

For the novice or amateur...no experience required

For the curious and playful learner

 (Max 8/min 5)

Maureen Joyce

·        taught clay classes at BMCA in 2010 and 2011 before moving to PA

·        studied Fine Art at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA

·         is a passionate potter & enthusiastic teacher.

JULY 16-20, 2012       9 am-noon

Register today!   828-669-0930

Earlybird Special - $175 through May 25; $200 after May 25.

Tuition includes clay, glazes and firing.

Visit: blackmountainarts.org  or http://blackmountainartsclay.blogspot.com

Black Mountain Center for the Arts

2012 Adult Clay Camp Schedule & Registration

BMCA SUMMER CAMPS 2012:

·          JULY 16-20, 9-noon:  ADULT CLAY CAMP Earlybird Special - $175 through May 25; $200 after May 25.  Teacher: Maureen Joyce. For the novice or amateur...no experience required - for the curious and playful learner. Instructor leads explorer in slab and altering techniques. (Max 8/min 5)

For more information visit blackmountainarts.org (events)

A $25 non-refundable deposit is required per camp per enrollee

If you know someone who would like to sponsor camp for a child who may not have the funds to attend otherwise, please contact us at 828/669-0930.

REGISTRATION FORM:

Name: ___________________________________________ Prefers to be called:  ______________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

City, State, and Zip: ________________________________________  _____   _____________

Phone: Home___________________ Work_____________________ Cell______________________

Email: ________________________________________________________________________

Emergency Contact during Day Camp: _____________________ Phone: ____________________

Allergies, etc.: ________________________________________  Special Needs: __________________

Waiver:

        I give my consent for the above student to participate in Black Mountain Center for the Arts (BMCA) summer day camp.  I will not hold the BMCA liable in case of accident or injury as a result of this participation. I authorize any medical treatment that may be advised or recommended by an attending physician in the event of an emergency while participating in the program.  I acknowledge that the above student is able to participate in physical activities associated with art, clay, dance, drama and music. I further acknowledge that the above student must comply with the camp rules and regulations.  Students who do not comply may be asked to withdraw with no refund of payment.

Signature: ________________________________________________

I give ____ do not give____ my consent for photographs of myself participating in camp activities to be used for publicity for the Black Mountain Center for the Arts.

Signature: ________________________________________________

Camp fee is payable by cash, check or credit card (Visa/MC only).  $25 of this amount is the non-refundable deposit.  Register and make checks payable to:

Black Mountain Center for the Arts (BMCA)

225 W. State Street, Black Mountain, NC 28711

828-669-0930

 

Camps that do not meet minimum enrollment will be canceled, enrollees notified and deposits refunded.

Who are we?

Charles Freeland is a graduate of Austin College and the University of North Texas. He holds an MFA in ceramics with a minor in painting and drawing. Charles has taught at a number of different programs from Texas to Illinois. While in Illinois, Charles taught for Bradley University, Lakeland Community College and Eastern Illinois University in a variety of areas from ceramics to multicultural aesthetics. A member of the Illinois Artisans Program who shows work in the state run gallery system. For the past ten years he has been a part of Sally Jones Pottery in Montreat, from artist-in-residence to technical supervisor. Charles has moved to the Black Mountain area, a return to his ancestral roots and love of the mountains, where he is the BMCA Clay Studio Manager.
.

Elise Reed Elise is a graduate of Salisbury University in Maryland, and has studied weaving and metal smithing at Penland School of Crafts, as well as pottery with Geoff Bird here at the BMCA Clay Studio. She recently completed the teacher certification program in art education at UNC-Asheville. She teaches classes for youth and families.

Will Byers may be a bit out of focus in this picture, but his teaching is definitely sharp.  Will Byers began working with clay over twenty years ago, while studying ceramic arts at the University of Tennessee. He founded New Moon Pottery in 1995, upon completing a 30-month apprenticeship at Monsarrat Pottery, near Knoxville, Tennessee. Will moved to Western North Carolina in 2000, where he and his wife Trish re-established the pottery in Swannanoa, and then in Black Mountain, changing the name to Byers Pottery. They both specialize in functional, high-fired stoneware, with rich beautiful glazes. Will’s teaching style is such that students are inspired to work at their own pace with plenty of encouragement and positive feedback given, as well as individual attention, to help students work out their own relationship with clay, and the potter’s process.

Geoff Bird is the senior member of the Clay Studio potters by virtue of his teaching at the Center since 2000 and over 40 years working in the ceramic arts. His experience in making beautiful pottery has led him to representation throughout the southeast. Geoff studied at various schools and studios in North Carolina when pottery was experiencing a renaissance in the 1960’s. At the BMCA Clay Studio Geoff teaches ongoing basic clay on the wheel classes. Geoff is admired and emulated by his students and is patient and encouraging with folks learning to master the wheel. His work is currently sold at the Morning Sky Pottery on Cherry Street.

Our students may focus upon wheel throwing or hand building, or any combination they chose.

The newest class for beginners will help anyone who wants to start learning clay without feeling that anyone with more experience will be around.

Having a time just for children and parents to work together with a tutor will give them the opportunity to create a project which will be completed in just a few weeks.

Our open studios are a time of community sharing of our recent learnings, as well as a place to relax.  We frequently have a studio full of maybe 10 different projects going.  An experienced clay person is available to help with questions.

We have an extensive glaze lab for experimenting with combining different colors.

And wouldn't you like a look at some of our students too?

 Molly's favorite colors are blues.

Here Barbara enjoys working on a hand built sculpture.

Pat has a great interest in decorating her wares, and has experimented with different techniques.

Sarah has become a wheel throwing wizard and makes lots of dinnerware.