June 2019 Newsletter
Art in the shop and the world + more!
Art in the Shop: Achieve Language Academy Artist in Residency
Making art is so fundamental to understanding how our world behaves. When we use materials and understand where they come from it gives us a window into understanding more about the physical world and how we can move in it. Through guided drawing lessons,
pattern making, and art history we learned about the power of patterns and symbols.
All of these observations reinforce the notion that we as individuals have the power to shape our world. It gives the Artist agency.
Our Big Idea for this Artist in Residency project was to Belong and Grow! Each student had a part to the puzzle and executed with ambition and attention. As a teaching artist I was really excited to see engaged students reap the reward of persistence. Read more about my spring Artist in Residency online!
~ Malcom Potek
Artist in the World: Mayumi Amada
Poets and painters alike depict the beauty of a field of flowers... but made of plastic egg cartons and bottles? When Mayumi Amada was a child, her father reminded her not to waste the soy sauce she generously applied, saying, "Everything is born with a purpose, but if it is not used fully, its life is wasted." She breathes new life into cast-off materials to bring beauty and remind us to live the life we want. The life of a flower is short, ours is too.
Illuminated flowers crafted from plastic bottles in Flower Field (above left); Mayumi Amada in front of Doily of Foremothers (above right) featuring over 100 skulls cut from a plastic tarp to show honor, respect and gratitude to her foremothers. If a generation is 20 years, this doily represents over 2,000 years of ancestors.
Upcoming Classes at Potekglass
NEW Boro Glass Menagerie - Turtle Try-iT!
Sat 7.6 | 10am - 1pm
An introduction to sculpture on the torch! You will learn the process of transforming glass shapes into small turtles. Create your own glass menagerie! No experience necessary!
Kids Art Camp
Mon July 8 - Fri July 12
12pm to 5:30pm
Have your kids unplug and create art using the fundamental skills learned during the school year!
Cast Your Summer in Glass
Led by Malcom Potek, who has been teaching kids for over 10 years, kids will explore creative process and create real work each afternoon.
The camp that offers everything a kid wants: working with clay, making molds and casts, working with color, a little science and math, imagination, melting glass and making sculpture!
Malcom creates an enriching learning space that can spark new ways of seeing, new skills and new friendships. Come ready for fun!
Opportunity to Create & Further Technique for All Levels
Open Torch and Kiln Sessions
1st Monday = 5:00 - 9:00 pm
2nd Saturday = 1:30 - 5:30 pm
3rd Tuesday = 5:00 - 9:00 pm
Malcom Potek will be available for any questions, guidance or reminders you might need while you work. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from a master and work at your own speed on your own project. Malcom will keep a watchful eye while giving you the freedom to explore! Need certification to participate. Not certified? Sign-up for a Try-iT class!
