Growing Greenup -MRP Session 3 and Ornament Class

Growing Greenup

MRP Session 3 and Ornament Class

Anne Stephens

For The Ashland Beacon

Are you curious about pottery? Have you ever wanted to try throwing clay on a wheel or hand building with a quality clay to be glazed and fired? Do you know that Greenup County has a new community teaching studio? Merging Rivers Pottery opened early this fall and is currently operating with its third student cohort. Session three is only one week in with a few open spots, if you want to jump in!

Merging Rivers Pottery (MRP) is a volunteer led program of the Greenup County Extension Service. The Community Arts Program Agent is Anne Stephens who has been an Extension Agent in Greenup County for over 16 years. Anne is proud to be working with Tom Hudson of Pig Pen Pottery and Sherry Hopper of Pondhawk Pottery as the lead volunteers and studio advisors. Community business owner and current president of the Greenup County Extension District Board, Kristie Patterson, offered studio space as in-kind support of starting the program. Patterson had space at The Edge Business Center in Russell that was well-suited with the ability to meet the unique needs of firing a kiln and reclaiming clay.

An additional potter has recently joined the MRP team! Ivy Markel is an artist who works in multiple arts mediums. She has come in to help with firing student project pieces and teach the hand building class. She is like having an experienced apprentice and she has stated how much she appreciates the opportunity to work with Tom and Sherry because of their years of experience with clay and teaching. All three instructors do a great job as project leaders and managers of the workings of the studio. 100% of students report that they felt encouraged and challenged by taking classes at MRP.       

If a spinning wheel seems like more than you are ready for, how about a simple project to get you started? MRP is offering a series of Christmas ornament project classes! You can come to the studio, pick out a premade ornament or bauble, decorate it with our custom studio glazes - much like painting - and leave it for us to fire for you. Pick up will be on a separate day. All ages are welcome.

Prices range between $10 and $30, cash or check. Call 606-836-0201 to claim your spot! Ornament classes are offered Mon | Wed | Thurs 10am or 6pm. Allow an hour to choose your design, colors, and glazing. Designs will vary! Ornaments $10-20, baubles $20-$30.

Pottery classes are offered in eight-week sessions. Explore your creativity and try something new! Hands-on experience for any skill level. Learn from skilled artisans, create unique pieces, and enjoy a relaxing atmosphere. For details or to register call the Greenup County Extension Office at 606.836.0201.

The current session started October 27.

Wheel throwing classes offered:

Mondays 6-9pm | Tuesdays 9:30am-12:30pm | Wednesdays 6-9pm | Thursdays 9:30am-12:30pm

Hand building classes offered:

Thursdays 6-9pm

COST?

Gold membership - $250 | Basic membership - $200

Additional open studio time is offered to gold members –

along with preferred scheduling for future sessions.

HOW LONG IS A SESSION?

8 weeks

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

25 lbs of clay 8 weeks of instruction choice of wheel throwing or hand building

access to shared tools studio glazes kiln firings shelving space for unfinished pieces.

Gold members have open studio access in addition to class time and guaranteed spot for additional class sessions. Online payment with credit card is offered by special request. Anne Stephens will send a link for payment using Event Brite. Inquire by sending an email request to anne.stephens@uky.edu.

Over the course of the first two sessions, skills were built and friends were made. Frustration eased into skill and vision became reality. To this point, no items have been lost in kiln firing. The custom mixed studio glazes are beautiful and respond as anticipated by the chemist, Sherry.

Sherry and Tom both have reported enjoying engaging with the students and encouraging them to complete their first pieces of pottery art. Ivy is just getting started with MRP and is excited to have a working pottery studio close to home. She had been traveling to Lexington to work at a studio that could fire her finished pieces. The travel presented many barriers in addition to the time factor. The pottery community is growing and expanding across the river with members coming from Ironton and Huntington. Come and get involved!  

The mission of Greenup Arts is to inspire creativity, create opportunities for arts education and participation, foster arts appreciation and consumerism, and encourage community development through arts programming. 

The vision of Greenup Arts is a community that embraces the importance of all aspects of the arts in education, business, and quality of life. We see a community with vibrant music, dance, visual art, theatre, creative writing, architecture, and landscape. We will strive to be the entity that inspires and provides leadership to both the artist and the arts consumer.

Greenup Arts Values

·       Supplementing arts education in our public schools and private studios.

·       Promoting local cultural heritage through artist development. 

·       Impacting public understanding of the value of the arts.  

·       Providing volunteerism opportunities through community arts events. 

·       Collaborations that strengthen community. 

For more information, contact Anne Stephens, Agent for Community Arts and Development in Greenup County. 606.836.0201 anne.stephens@uky.edu 35 Wurtland Avenue, Wurtland, KY 41144 The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.  University of Kentucky, Kentucky State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Kentucky counties, cooperating.