A Potluck

Last night we bundled the kids up in the brisk evening weather and strollered our way over to Dan and Maria's for a potluck. Dan is Robin's graduate advisor and one of the ceramic dept. faculty. Maria is also a potter's wife and subject to hosting many potluck parties in her home because of this privileged status. We're fortunate to live only a few blocks away which means we can easily enjoy that second glass of wine at gatherings at their place. They also have two little kids that get along splendidly with our, another bonus for parties at their place. 

The purpose of this particular gathering of clay folk (not that there has to be one) was visiting artist Hun Chung Lee, a Korean sculptor that the crew visited while over in Korea this past spring. Hun Chung is here for a workshop at USU and as is customary, a potluck is typically held as part of the visit, another way to continue the pot talk, only accompanied by great food and over bevies. 

And there is ALWAYS great food. Ceramic artists are nearly always also great cooks. My guess is that it serves the dual purpose of putting their wares to work while celebrating their intended use. And if you are going to make beautiful pots, you better not serve up a b-rated dish in them. Potlucks in ceramic circles are always a sure bet, and last night was no exception.  

Last night's gathering also got me thinking about how this group of graduate students can be likened to a potluck. A potluck of people. The group is made up of 6 (sometimes more, sometimes less) individuals, all coming from different places, offering up different ideas for the group to consume and critique. The larger ceramics community only makes the potluck more varied, with undergraduates and faculty all contributing and adding flavor to the communal whole with their own work, in their own individual ways. 

A friend from back home, and also an avid blogger (While Tangerine Dreams)

has inspired me to incorporate interviews into my blog. She is a fantastic promoter of the handcrafted and herself is a maker of her very own handicraft. She's been writing a weekly post called Etsy Fridays on her blog that features other makers, specifically those with Etsy shops. Way to go Cathy! So I got to thinking, what better group to interview than this motley potluck of clay junkies! So stay tuned for more on who's who at USU, (if they are willing that is....)