Raku Rhody-O
Downtown Providence, RI  
October 10-14, 2003  
 
Hello everyone,
Over the weekend Geoff brought four RHS students to participate in the Raku Rhody-o. It ran from Fri. night (slide presentation and dinner at RISD) through Sun. The site was in a field in downtown Providence. There were demonstrations of Raku firing, kiln building, glass blowing and throwing. Geoff and his students each brought up 10 pieces that they glazed and Raku fired in the various kilns on site. Our students helped build some of the kilns and fired their own pieces. Dan Perlman, Paul Patrick, Alex Champagne and Sam Tyree were the only high school students participating in the workshop. The other participants were adult artists from as far away as North Carolina. I went up on Saturday and was approached by a number of potters that wanted to tell me how impressed they were with our students behavior, maturity, interest and abilities. RHS was introduced to the arts community in New England in a very positive way this past weekend. On Sunday judging took place by the visiting artists that ran the workshop and the mayor of Providence. Out of 130 pieces 40 were chosen to be in a show at city hall. Dan Perlman, Alex Champagne and Geoff all had work chosen. The opening at city hall is this Thursday Oct. 16 from 5-9. It is in conjunction with gallery night in Providence. It is an honor to have been chosen for the show and we should all congratulate the participants.--Sandy Griffis

 

Ceramic Workshop
St.Georges School, Newport, RI  
May 18, 2003  
 
My neice, Eliza Ross, a senior at St.Georges, organized a workshop on a beautiful sunny spring day in Newport. About seven students came in from the Spring concert on the quad to watch and learn how to throw pots on the wheel. After I threw some bowls and vases the students wedged up some clay and tried their hand at the wheel. Moving from student to student, I helped each one with their first experience throwing. Wedging, coning, centering, collaring, they all learned a new vocabulary related to ceramics!

Everyone was very successful saving at least one of their pieces. It was lots of fun and everyone left totally jazzed up about clay. Thanks Eliza and St.Georges for a fun Sunday in the clay studio!
Geoff Flickinger