{"id":156968,"date":"2023-05-06T20:35:33","date_gmt":"2023-05-06T20:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/culture.org\/?p=156968"},"modified":"2023-05-06T20:35:33","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T20:35:33","slug":"digging-deep-artists-rediscover-the-ancient-art-of-earth-sourced-ceramics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culture.org\/art-and-culture\/digging-deep-artists-rediscover-the-ancient-art-of-earth-sourced-ceramics\/","title":{"rendered":"Digging Deep: Artists Rediscover the Ancient Art of Earth-Sourced Ceramics"},"content":{"rendered":" <!-- <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n jQuery(document).ready(function() {\r\n jQuery(\".key-accordion-item .key-menu\").on(\"click\", function() {\r\n if (jQuery(this).parent().hasClass(\"active\")) {\r\n jQuery(this).next().slideUp();\r\n jQuery(this).parent().removeClass(\"active\");\r\n } else {\r\n jQuery(\".key-content\").slideUp();\r\n jQuery(\".key-accordion-item\").removeClass(\"active\");\r\n jQuery(this).parent().addClass(\"active\");\r\n jQuery(this).next().slideDown();\r\n }\r\n });\r\n })\r\n <\/script> -->\r\n\r\n\r\n <!-- start html -->\r\n\r\n <div class=\"news-key-takeaway-wapper\">\r\n <span style=\"background-color:#4db2ee;\">Key Takeaways<\/span>\r\n <ul class=\"news-key-nbox\" style=\"border-color:#4db2ee;background-color:rgba(77, 178, 238, 0.1);\">\r\n <li>Artists Mitch Iburg and Malley Weber are turning to the earth to create sustainable, unique ceramics by sourcing clay locally.<\/li>\r\n <li>Both artists prefer to dig clay themselves, giving their works a personal touch while embracing the craft's historical and ecological roots.<\/li>\r\n <li>The use of locally sourced clay is a growing movement that seeks to reconnect with the earth and embrace the artistic traditions of the past.<\/li>\r\n <li>Through their deliberate and mindful practices, these artists are creating meaningful, lasting works that celebrate the earth and its bountiful gifts.<\/li>\r\n <li>More artists are exploring the use of locally sourced clay, not only preserving the environment but also connecting with the history and spirituality of the land.<\/li>\r\n <\/ul>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \n<p> <\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artists Mitch Iburg and Malley Weber have turned to the earth to create sustainable, unique ceramics by sourcing clay locally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iburg, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Weber, from Maine, both prefer to dig clay themselves, giving their works a personal touch while embracing the craft’s historical and ecological roots.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>From Painting to Clay: Mitch Iburg’s Journey<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Born in Wisconsin and raised in Iowa, Iburg initially studied painting at Coe College in Iowa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, a 3-D fundamentals class led him to appreciate clay and its connection to nature and antiquity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He applied for a residency at the Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project in California, specifically drawn to its location on a clay bed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iburg later opened Studio Alluvium in Minnesota with his fianc\u00e9e, Zo\u00eb Powell, where he continues to use specialized wood-fired kilns, which produce unique results depending on the type of wood and firing conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iburg’s works are available in several galleries and retail sites, where they are celebrated for their intimate and purposeful approach to craftsmanship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iburg’s earth-sourced materials and energy-conscious methods resonate with a growing community interested in sustainable art practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2> <!-- <div class=\"container-c\"> -->\r\n <!-- <div class=\"row justify-content-between\"> -->\r\n <!-- <div class=\"col-post-800\"> -->\r\n <!-- start html -->\r\n <div class=\"blockquote-wapper\">\r\n <div>\r\n <span class=\"text_quot\">\r\n <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, Newsom and Weber work together to reintroduce ceramics to the Wabanaki community and celebrate the area’s heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"quot_icon\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"quot_tick\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot_tri.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <!-- end html -->\r\n <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n <\/h2>\n<h2><b>The Wild Clay of Maine: Malley Weber’s Passion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber, owner of Kennebec Clay Works, collects clay from local sources like a neighbor’s stream.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber’s fascination with clay’s origins led her to uncover Maine’s rich clay deposits, which formed 14,000 years ago as glaciers melted and left sediment in the region.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Presumpscot Formation, a blue-green marine clay, is a testament to the geological history of the area.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bonnie Newsom, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation and an archeologist, has found evidence of clay pots made by Indigenous people 3,000 years ago, demonstrating a rich history of ceramic art in Maine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, Newsom and Weber work together to reintroduce ceramics to the Wabanaki community and celebrate the area’s heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Embracing Tradition and Sustainability<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artists like Iburg and Weber are part of a growing movement that seeks to reconnect with the earth and embrace the artistic traditions of the past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From using local clay sources to employing sustainable firing techniques, these artists are finding innovative ways to create unique, environmentally conscious ceramics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sam Saunders, who manages Wayne Village Pottery in Maine, is inspired by the self-sufficiency of his land’s original owners, who used local resources for brickmaking and blacksmithing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, the pottery studio uses clay from the property and sells wholesale ornaments to multiple states.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As more artists begin to explore the use of locally sourced clay, they are not only preserving the environment but also connecting with the history and spirituality of the land.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through their deliberate and mindful practices, these artists are creating meaningful, lasting works that celebrate the earth and its bountiful gifts.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":156969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[410],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-and-culture"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156968"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}