the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana beacon1-19 | Seite 5

January 2019 THE BEACON Page 5A Painting, Sculpture, Art Classes Are a Passion for So Many Potters have used wheels since at least the Early Bronze Age, c. 3500–2350 BC. (Photo courtesy Bruce Canfield) Rebecca Davies with her painting, Spiritual Beings Playing with My Heart. Barb Gallagher is always happy to answer questions and encourage those new to weaving. Continued from page 4A Cincinnati Weavers Guild, she appreciates all of the fiber arts including knitting and crocheting, tatting and bead- work. She says, “Weaving has never quite found its niche. It’s not really a craft, and a lot of people don’t consider it an art. Quilts have made the jump and are very artsy now; weaving has started to be accepted a lot more, and people are referring to it as ‘utilitarian art’.” Mr. Canfield asks that ques- tion about pottery, “Is it an art or is it a craft? I think if there is any amount of embellish- ment to the pot, it starts to become more art. If it is more utilitarian and fairly simple … then it might lend itself more to a craft. It is a tactile art. Potter Bruce Canfield is the current president of the Clay Alliance. it’s got a meaning or reason to be, it’s so much better.” Area artists reach out to new and emerging creatives in a variety of ways. Mr. Canfield has been a board member of the Clay Alliance for over a decade and is currently the president. He says, “The Clay Alliance is very supportive of children. I should probably say college-aged and high school aged. We have student memberships to encourage them to come in and attend our seminars and workshops at half price or even less.” Walking through the gal- lery in Dillsboro, Ms. Davies points out a painting that was a collaborative effort by New Horizons clients, created following a tour of the gal- lery. She talks about a show judged by Hanover College art students. She says, “This is a place that would have made all the difference for me as a kid. I had different things that the kids growing up now didn’t have … it was a differ- ent time, and now this is even more needed. I’ve got a little guy who comes in here all the time to just hang out with me. We talk art, and he brings his sketchbook to show me his work.” Mrs. Gallagher says, “I do a lot of teaching and what I have found is it’s usually a slightly older crowd, it’s the 50, 55- plus empty-nesters, etc. that either took a class when they were in college and they want to get back to it, or else a lot of people are looking for some- thing that is tactile and not electronic. There are so many people that find that once they get involved with weaving, they enjoy it. It’s very relax- ing; it can become rhythmic… It’s not a dying art in the slightest; it is growing, and the numbers of weavers across the country are just astronomical. And it just tickles me when I see somebody get started in something and how excited they get about it. I love it - it feeds me when I get that back from other people.” Every artist is not tucked away in a garret in Paris, nor is creativity limited to galler- ies in Manhattan. Fortunately, Southeastern Indiana has a number of productive, talented and passionate creatives, hap- py to talk about their work and willing to share their pieces with the community. A class in glassblowing, wheel throw- ing, welding, or watercolor might be just the thing for that friend, and it might be fun to spend the holidays with family exploring galleries through- out the region. Take a chance on art and see what you can discover – and create! Potters, when they get a piece of pottery in their hands, they hold it and touch it and will say is the handle right? Is that a three-finger mug or a two- finger mug? Is it balanced?” “The stuff that I tend to want to do is something that is known as functional art. It has a function besides just sitting there looking pretty,” says Mr. Kaiser. For example, his repoussé pieces can be designed to hold the cremains of loved ones. Or it could be flat with nothing behind it, and it would be a memo- rial to Uncle Joe or whoever, but let’s make it a functional piece more than just some- thing pretty - I think that means a lot to people. Art for the sake of art is fine; I have no problem with that, but if SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw their ads in The BEACON!