By Kat Bryant
The Daily World
Ten Grays Harbor clay artisans have broken off from the North Beach Artist Guild to establish the Grays Harbor Potters Guild in Hoquiam.
Their studio and retail shop opened to the public Friday at 2222 Simpson Ave. Initial operating hours are 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Friday through Sunday.
“We kept increasing our numbers, and we kind of outgrew our space” at NBAG’s Gallery of Ocean Shores, said Pam Otteson, who serves as co-director of the guild along with the other founding members.
Gary Ganz added that they wanted to change their business model to include retail space as well as a teaching studio — which required a more central location. Hoquiam makes their site easily accessible from Westport and Montesano in addition to Ocean Shores, he said.
As far as COVID-19 precautions, there’s plenty of room for physical distancing, and the members have set up industrial-strength air purifiers with UV light. “We’re killing all the bad juju,” joked Otteson.
The front of the building houses the guild’s gallery and classroom space. They’ve acquired display shelving, a large worktable and chairs, and other furnishings second-hand.
In addition to the guild members’ works, the gallery will include other types of local art. “We’re going to have some jewelry, paintings, silk scarves — different things,” said Melanie Knight.
For now, the public is welcome to visit during the weekend hours to browse the gallery and observe the artists at work. Later, for an hourly or monthly fee, members of the community will be allowed to use the materials and facilities for their own work.
As things progress, Sandy Early will start conducting beginners classes. Participants will receive instruction and be able to take home their work.
“She’s done clay her entire life and has lots of clever ideas,” said Knight.
Intermediate and advanced classes will be added later, “and then we’ll just evolve based on what we see people are interested in,” she said.
They also intend to offer children’s classes. “We really want to provide a place where kids can get art — especially now, with the schools closed,” said Knight. “But we need to be able to do it safely, so we are modeling a plan.”
In the large studio area in the rear, each artist has a designated workspace. Thick clear-plastic partitions provide virus protection while allowing them all to see one another. The potters wheel, a kiln and other shared equipment also are located in that area, where public demonstrations will be conducted on weekends.
The founding members all have different skills and specialties. Some “throw” pots and other vessels on the wheel, while others do piece work with slabs of soft clay. They create everything from decorative bowls to imaginative figurines to large totem-style yard art.
For every one of them, it’s a labor of love. And they’re all looking forward to sharing their art and their expertise with the Harbor community.
For more information, and for future updates on hours and classes, check the guild’s website: http://potters.place. There’s also a Facebook page.
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Grays Harbor Potters Guild
2222 Simpson Ave., Hoquiam
360-580-1673
http://potters.place
Open 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Fri-Sun
Founding members/co-directors:
Evie Cheung
Cindy Dana
Sandy Early
Gary Ganz
Melanie Knight
Lyn Nelson
Pam Otteson
Ken Slaughter
Nancy Williams
Kat Bryant | The Daily World Melanie Knight shows a plate she created with the imprint of a natural leaf from her garden. It’s one of many pieces displayed for sale in the gallery.
Kat Bryant | The Daily World Richard Young enjoys building abstract pieces with alternative clays. Here, he’s working with “plum black” slabs.
Kat Bryant | The Daily World Evie Cheung especially enjoys decorating clay pieces. She painted this scene on a plate created by another artisan.
Kat Bryant | The Daily World Melanie Knight demonstrates how to fuse two pieces of soft clay together: She “roughs it up” by cross-hatching the areas that will be joined.
