Friday Feature Arts Organization: Mudslingers Pottery School, passion for pottery

June 26, 5:14 PMBoulder Cultural Events ExaminerShoshana Fanizza

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John Hansen, founder of Mudslingers Pottery School teaching a student.
Photo courtesy of Mudslingers Pottery School

Last week I visited the Mudslinger Pottery School & Gallery in Louisville, CO and met with the Summer Program Director, Emilie Parker to get a feel for what makes this school special. As I pulled into a parking spot in front of the MarketPlace on Louisville's Main Street, I had a feeling I would enjoy my visit.

The Mudslingers Pottery school is very unique in many ways. “Many of our students are telling us that there is no other program that is so tailored to their part time pottery artists needs.  We have open studio time for our artists, adult classes, 12 member artists and many adults in the community who use our program to create art.” said Parker.

As I entered their basement location of 11 years, there was a gallery set up for items for sale such as creative, custom table lamps with a mountain motif, stoneware drums, highfire tea pots, stoneware goblets, and a variety of plates, jars, vessels, and mixing bowls. Also proudly displayed were works of art from many of their students. Any student can opt to have their pottery displayed for public viewing.

Beyond the gallery were rows of shelves for their various members, students, and staff to keep their pottery projects organized. Of course, some of the shelving was dedicated to their materials, their clays and glazes.

The Mudslingers Pottery School is equipped with ten potters wheels, seven of them are for their student classes, and they have two smaller sized kilns to make firing easy for every day use, quicker turn arounds, and to make it cost effective for their students and members.

One of the details that was very impressive is the fact that they recycle their clay. The original clay is purchased from Mile High Ceramics in Denver. If a project is not fired up and glazed, the clay gets collected, crushed together, treated with water, and then reshelved for future use. No clay is wasted, it helps save the earth, and it helps save the school money.

The glazes are hand created by the founder John Hansen. Like a scientist, he measures just the right amounts of glaze materials to create the special colors for the entire studio. John Hansen also is the creator of many of the gallery items and the items that the general public can come in to self-glaze. John has been in this business for around 30 years and is quite the pottery guru.

John Hansen found his affinity for clay while a student at the University of Wisconsin. Hansen has worked in theatre and business but pottery has been a constant thread in his life. He started Mudslingers in 1998 after many years of teaching in other programs. In addition to his extensive experience, Hansen brings his infamous sense of humor to class, resulting in fun and enlightening times. His work has been exhibited in Europe and sold nationally.

Emilie Parker was hired on as the Summer Program Director this year.  She too has a lifetime passion for pottery.  As I sipped water from my hand crafted pottery mug, Emilie and I discussed their programming more in detail. Hansen has set up part of the programs to cater to local artists that can only spend a few hours a week on their work. 

“We have found that many of our student and member artists find working with clay at Mudslingers to feel therapeutic.  They enjoy being able to fit art into busy schedules and the sense of fun and community,” Parker shared.

They also have a full slate of programs for kids: nine summer camps this summer, a teen class and kids birthday parties. Two of the summer camps are in collaboration with CenterStage Theatre Company (a two week camp with half days learning musical theater and half days pottery classes), and The Art Underground (combining  hip hop dance and pottery class for a full day camp).  Mudslingers also provides the teen Breakthrough Arts through the YMCA during the school year. Parker reports that the kids have been very excited when they come for their pottery lessons and that it is easy and fun to work with them. “Their attention is very focused and they have a get-up and go attitude towards creating their projects.”

Projects are theme specific, such as the “make an animal” project using two simple bowl forms that they create. This ensures that the kids learn both pottery throwing and hands-on techniques. I was surprised at all the different ways these two bowls could be combined to create an assortment of animals, limited only by the kids' imaginations.

Kids are not the only ones that can have fun in the Mudslingers' studio. Family group classes and sessions can be scheduled as well as small corporate groups and private events. I asked about the corporate groups program. Businesses will send over a department or group for some pottery “therapy.” The group is assigned a project to work on together and each person in the group is asked to participate verbally as well. Many of the groups head up to lunch at Bob's Deli before going back to the office, a good sign that a camaraderie was established during their pottery group session.

In wrapping up my visit with Emilie Parker, I asked what she felt was the unique factor of the Mudslingers Pottery School. “The fact that we are a smaller studio gives us the flexibility to schedule the public's needs more efficiently. We have fewer cancellations this way,” said Parker. “Also, we are a group of friends working together and all of us share a passion for pottery and for sharing the joys of pottery with the next generation of artists and with the community. We are sensitive to the needs of people that come in, and we offer a variety of ways to become involved with pottery.”

After looking at their quarterly brochure, with all of their offerings of glaze and pottery sessions, lessons, kids summer camps and studio time for their members, I would have to agree that they offer variety and flexibility at the Mudslingers Pottery School. After speaking with Emilie Parker, I would have to say that their passion for pottery could be very contagious.

For more information about the Mudslingers Pottery School, their founder John Hansen, and all their programs, please visit their website at www.mudslingerspottery.com.

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Shoshana Fanizza is the founder of Audience Development Specialists.  For writings specifically about audience development, please visit the Audience Development Blog.