1st Annual Members Make Event: Ceramics Holiday Ornaments for Friends
Holiday ornaments first broke onto the scene in the 1800’s, when a glass maker named Hans Greiner began making glass ornaments in the shape of nuts, fruits and other common food items. Soon after, Griener started making glass “Baubles”, or the common spherical ornament we associate with the holidays.
Almost 30 years later, an opportunistic shop owner, Frank Woolworth, agreed to carry the ornaments. While reluctant, the ornaments quickly sold, and helped to spur on the holiday decorating tradition here in the United States.
Today, ornaments come in all different shapes and sizes. They can be made of clay, glass, wood, or mixed media. They can be handmade by an artist, mass produced, or made by a loved one.
Ornaments can be simple with bright colors, and simple designs. They can also be more elaborate, featuring characters from our favorite movie, a type of food, or an activity we love. And for those that really love their ornaments you can find ones that move, sing, talk, dance, and light up.
While it’s common for ornaments to be aligned with religious celebration, for many they are a symbol of the season, a season where celebrating family, friends and loved ones is on everyone’s mind.
And that is where we found our inspiration for our latest pottery club membership event.
Making Ceramic Ornaments, a Member Making Event
One of the key differences between our pottery club and other studios in the area, is our focus on creating community and creating new social experiences for our members. As the holiday season approached, we asked ourselves, “How could we give back this year?” and “How could we do so using clay?”
The answer? Clay ornaments!
Together with our members, we set out to make, fire, glaze, and give away clay ornaments to a local community organization. For many of our members it was their first time making ceramic ornaments. Soon though, the process was figured out, and a variety of ornaments were filling the tables at our pottery studio.
Glazed in blue, greens, and browns, and adorned with ribbons, we soon had a large pile of ceramic ornaments to give away. But where would we take them?
Giving our Member Made Clay Ornaments to Nurses and Healthcare Workers
Over the course of our teaching careers, Danielle and I have met many different healthcare professionals in the pottery classes we’ve taught.
Hard working, and dedicated, these students were nurses and medical professionals who day in and day out gave it their all. And for them clay was an outlet for alleviating stress, and burnout.
Inspired by our past experiences, we reached out to some of our former pottery class members who worked in the local hospital system. Excitedly they agreed to help distribute the ornaments.
Pottery Club Members Make Event, a Big Success
Pictured, some of the nurses at the local hospital system who received our handmade ceramic ornaments.
At our pottery club, clay is more than a medium. Clay is a catalyst for creating community, and full of potential ways to show someone you care.
As a newer pottery studio, it’s important for us to find ways to connect with the community and get our members engaged. And with our ornament event, we were given an opportunity to learn, but also give back and show a part of the Rochester, NY community that we care about them.
If you are interested in joining our pottery club, and participating in great events like this, complete our new members application and we’ll schedule a time for you to visit. Together we’ll make new friendships, learn about pottery, and make great events like this happen.
Article Sources
https://www.ft.com/content/ce33a468-812a-11e4-b956-00144feabdc0
