Art Workshop - Water & Rocks: Wild Clay Workshop

On the shores of Lake Michigan, a vein of clay runs through the sand. Over the years, artists have made trips to the clay beach—gathering, processing, and making artworks from Michigan’s yellow clay. In this workshop, participants will forage and process clay from Lake Michigan’s deposits to create hand-built ceramics. Participants will consider the correspondence between maker and material as they investigate the craft of clay.

SAFFRONIA DOWNING works with clay to map material residue across time and place. She forages local materials and creates site-specific installation and sculpture. Downing is the co-creator of the digital publication Viral Ecologies. Her work was featured in the 2019 autumn session of the Setouchi Triennale, Japan. She has also exhibited nationally at numerous Chicago and Baltimore galleries. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her BA in Studio Art from Hampshire College.

Dates: Tuesday-Friday, July 13-16