Clay Play Day!

Eugene ceramic artist Roz Metcalf. Photo courtesy Roz Metcalf.

Eugene’s ceramic arts scene steps forward with the Second Avenue Arts Fest on June 8, a collaborative event between Whiteaker Printmakers, Wildling Collaborative Arts and Clay Space, neighboring arts organizations in the Whiteaker neighborhood. The festival also celebrates Clay Space’s recent nonprofit status, and reaches beyond the clay arts: Wildling Collaborative Arts also provides textile, stained glass and block printing resources. Whiteaker Printmakers is a member-supported community printmaking studio. Deb Babcock is a Clay Space volunteer who chairs the event planning committee, along with representatives from Wilding and Whiteaker Printmakers. “It’s going to be lively,” Babcock says, with 50 artist booths showcasing their work, live music, a food truck, pottery wheels and demonstrations, “so people can watch people throwing on the wheel,” she says. For kids, she adds, there will be a tent for them to make pottery, with a special kiln so they can take something home with them that day. Clay Space membership, Babcock says, provides access to studio space, wheels, tables, glazes and firings. As a new nonprofit, Babcock says the group hopes to reach out to people with disabilities interested in working with clay, collaborate with other nonprofits and contribute to causes like FOOD For Lane County’s Empty Bowls Dinner & Auction. Purchasing at Second Avenue Arts Fest, Babcock says, will support “local artists and made-in-America products,” and it’s the week before Father’s Day, so the perfect opportunity to pick up a new mug for dad. “Bring the whole family and just have fun,” Babcock says.

The Second Avenue Arts Fest is 11 am to 5 p.m Sunday June 8 at Clay Space, 222 Polk Street. Free.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

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