Art students visit clinic

SUPERIOR – Students from the Superior High School were afforded the chance last week to hone their artistic skills at a clinic in Missoula that focused on ceramics.

As part of “Archie Bray Day”, the University of Montana hosted the clinic that taught students the fine art of creating original works of art using clay. Superior High School art teacher Frankie Kelly said the experience was an eye-opener for her students.

“The kids got to learn about different approaches to working with clay,” Kelly said. “One of the sessions was about painting on finished pieces. Another was about throwing pots on the wheel. And one was about building forms. The kids said the experience was amazing. They were especially impressed by the painter.”

Kelly said the students were already making plans to incorporate what they learned into the spring ceramics curriculum. She said “Archie Bray Day” was a function of the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts out of Helena.

According to their website, the Archie Bray Foundation is “a public, nonprofit, educational institution founded in 1951 by brickmaker Archie Bray, who intended it to be ‘a place to make available for all who are seriously interested in any of the branches of the ceramic arts, a fine place to work.’ Its primary mission is to provide an environment that stimulates creative work in ceramics.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Bray is located three miles from downtown Helena, Montana, on the site of the former Western Clay Manufacturing Company. Set against the wooded foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the 26-acre former brickyard is internationally recognized as a gathering place for emerging and established ceramic artists. The nearby mountains and brick factory ruins provide a backdrop for the creative environment; more important is the dynamic arts community created by the resident artists that come to the Bray to work, share experiences, and explore new ideas.”