Explore a new way of thinking about the technique of pinching clay and a philosophy of making that asks us all to slow down and be present with both material and process. Paul Briggs’ unique technique is pinching expressive vessels out of a single ball of clay, using no additional clay. Briggs will walk participants through a basic version of his technique using a ball of clay. This workshop is one in a series of three sessions in February with Ceramics Program 2019-20 Artists In Residence. 

Artist Bio: Paul Briggs grew up in the Hudson Valley of Newburgh, NY taking his first ceramics class in 9^th grade. He eventually landed at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Paul is an artist-teacher with balanced training in Ceramics, Sculpture, and Education. He earned an MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art, an MSED from Alfred University and a PhD in Art Education/Educational Theory and Policy from the Pennsylvania State University. He’s taught all educational levels and various contexts including the Penland and Haystack Schools of Craft. Recently he was awarded a South Eastern Minnesota Arts Council Grant for the installation, Cell Persona: The Impact of Incarceration on Black Lives. Paul is an Associate Professor of Art Education at MassArt.... Read more about Paul Briggs Artist-In-Residence Workshop

Maine-based potter Ayumi Horie gives her first workshop at the Ceramics Program, Office for the Arts at Harvard. Throwing without water may sound impossible, but Ayumi has used “Dry Throwing” as a viable method to make pots for more than 20 years. Bowls and plates will be covered, along with surface decoration techniques such as mishima, sgraffito, and waterslide decals. This workshop will consist of a lecture, demonstration, and hands-on time for students, so get ready to play!

Artist Bio: Ayumi Horie is a full-time studio potter based in Maine, who layers color and drawings of animals to create narratives that are grounded in American and Japanese folk traditions and comics. In 2015, she was awarded a Distinguished Fellow in Craft grant from United States Artists. She co-founded The Democratic Cup, a political project that seeks to catalyze conversation through collaborative cups made by more than two dozen artists. She runs Pots In Action, a curatorial project on Instagram that features international ceramics and guest hosts from all over the world. In 2016 she created Portland Brick, a collaborative public art project, that repairs city sidewalks with bricks made from local clay stamped with past, contemporary, and future memories of Portland. In 2011, she was the first recipient of Ceramics Monthly’s Ceramic Artist of the Year award. She has organized multiple online fundraisers including Obamaware in 2008 and Handmade For Japan in 2011, which has raised over $100,000 for disaster relief. She has served on multiple boards including that of the Archie Bray Foundation and currently is a trustee at the American Craft Council and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. She has taught and lectured nationally and internationally for the past 20 years.... Read more about Ayumi Horie Visiting Artist Workshop