Pottery Around the World: The Americas (Zoom class)
Class meets Saturdays 10AM-12 PM EST
May 31-July 5 (6 weeks)
Come on a journey with me! Let's learn about the fascinating history of pottery’s role in shaping the course of civilization and make pieces inspired by indigenous cultures of the Americas! We will begin each class with a short (approximately 15 minute) presentation about a culture and its pots, followed by a demonstration of how to create your own version of a historical pot using a combination of ancient and modern tools and technology. Our explorations will take us to the pueblos of the American Southwest to explore painting patterns with natural pigments, to Peru to make stirrup spout vessels inspired by the Moche people, to the American Midwest to learn about the provocative head jars of the Mississippian culture, and to the heart of Appalachia to learn about pottery traditions of the Eastern Cherokee. In the process we will learn about how to make pots with tools found in nature, process wild clay for use as a clay body and pigment, and how to impart smoke fired effects using a backyard fire pit! The class will be conducted via Zoom, with plenty of time for Q&A as well as access to the recordings. After signing up students will receive a Zoom link as well as a course outline that includes a materials list and links to additional bonus videos and articles to add to our discussion.