THE workroom of Orange Street Pottery is filled with
students sitting eagerly at the table, bringing form
to their creative visions. With laser focus, some are
wedging the clay, some are hand-throwing, and some
are wondering, how do I make a vase?
Instructor and executive president Brian Evans guides each
through the process. It’s a similar experience to the one he first
encountered in 1995 under the guidance of Orange Street
Pottery founder Hiroshi Sueyoshi.
“My goal here is to not teach a college curriculum class,”
Evans says. “My goal is to help the students succeed. I want a
beginner to come to a class, have fun, and go home with some-thing
tangible. Almost every project we make will turn out so
that you have a finished piece to take home.”
Disciplines of study include Hand Building and Wheel
Throwing, taught by Evans and Bev Haley; Wheel Throwing,
taught by Steve Kelly and Jacob Herrmann; and Concentrated
Hand Building, taught by Evans. Students can choose from
morning, afternoon or night classes attended twice a week for
seven weeks.
Students begin with the basics, then are taught how to incor-porate
them. All glazes are made in-house. If they’re seeking
to create a box, mug, or even a lantern, Evans has a series of
templates to start. A kiln and drying room provide hands-on
experience around the chemistry (and magic) behind the
process. Students interested in a pottery career can also learn
how to load and unload the kiln.
“Orange Street Pottery is filled with wonderful teachers and
students,” Haley says. “When I first went there and Hiroshi was
there, we only had two little rooms. Today, we have so many
students and it’s a wonderful social outlet. I think there’s a joy in
creating something; students have no idea they can do anything
with clay, and they come in here and are amazed at what they
can create.”
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Craft & Clay
Since 1982, Orange Street Pottery has provided a space to mold creative visions to life
By Emory Rakestraw
Brian Evans
Bev Haley
Jacob Herrmann Steve Kelly