That's A Wrap! Around the World in Clay 2024-25

This past week marked the end of this school year’s Around the World in Clay, a free afterschool program for Port Chester Students.

The Around the World in Clay program at Clay Art Center offers Port Chester students the opportunity to learn about the history and importance of ceramics in different cultures around the world, while giving each student the freedom to explore their own unique creativity and imagination through clay. Some of the sources of inspiration for this year’s projects included:

• Turtle Island pinch pots, inspired by the many Indigenous cultures of North America who named the continent Turtle Island, and see the turtle as a symbol of creation and balance, carrying the weight of the world on its back. After learning about this story, students sculpted turtles using the pinch pot method, learning to shape and attach parts like legs, heads, and tails with care.

• Huishan clay figurines, which have been made for centuries in the Jiangsu province of China and are known for their cheerful shapes, bright colors, and rounded, hollow forms. Often created to bring good luck and joy, these figures are a treasured part of Chinese folk art. Inspired by this tradition, students sculpted their own expressive figures, learning how to build hollow forms without collapsing the clay.

• Detailed dioramas inspired by the breathtaking landscapes and vibrant cultures of the Andes Mountains of Peru. From alpacas and mountain peaks to shared meals and music, life in the Andes is full of color and connection. Inspired by this region, students sculpted miniature dioramas by flattening clay and forming scenes entirely by hand.

At the end of each semester, the students are invited to gather with their families and clay teachers to celebrate all their hard work at evening group exhibitions. As you can see from the images below, this past week’s exhibitions were a great success - we can’t wait to see what Around the World in Clay students make next year!