EARLY SATURDAY MORNING AT THE 2008 CREATIVE CLAY FOLKFEST
This past weekend I attended the Creative Clay Folkfest, the second annual Street Arts Festival. Creative Clay (1124 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL. 33705; 727-825-0515) is an organization in St. Pete with widespread and enthusiastic support in the community. Their mission, as expressed on their website, is “to make the arts accessible for every interested member of the Tampa Bay community regardless of age, gender, ability and/or race.”
Their website continues: “Since 1995, Creative Clay has been providing local artists with developmental, physical and/or emotional disabilities an opportunity to pursue their passion for art making. Our arts programs consist of studio and community based activities for exploring unique personal realities in an inventive, professional environment. Creative Clay is committed to promoting the work created by its member artists through bimonthly art exhibitions in our downtown gallery and various public venues throughout the greater Tampa Bay region.”
The Annual Folkfest helps bring attention to Creative Clay, its mission and clients by presenting the work of Creative Clay students alongside the work of professional folk artists, accompanied by non-stop first-class musical entertainment.
SOME OF THE CREATIVE CLAY ARTISTS AND FRIENDS AT THE CREATIVE CLAY GALLERY TENT DISPLAYING STUDENT WORKS
The pairing of professional folk art with work by the students of Creative Clay is inspired. The juxtaposition reveals the strength and beauty of expression every person is capable of making. There was one painting by a Creative Clay student I was captivated by: a repeating series of bottles (you can see it in the slideshow of artwork near the end of this post). I wasn’t surprised to learn later in the day that it had been chosen for a recycling themed t-shirt design. I suspect that t-shirt was part of Artworks, a “supported employment initiative, artworks at its core is truly an entrepreneurial approach to program sustainability. Utilizing designs created in the Creative Clay studios, the artworks project is to support the majority of its diverse and innovative cultural arts programs with revenues made through the sale of licensed products such as t-shirts, mugs, glasses, greeting cards, recycle bags, and temporary tattoos.” [Quote from Creative Clay website.]
ARTIST STEPHANIE SCHORR OF CRAFTSMAN HOUSE
The list of professional artists with stands at the Folkfest is simply too long to list–over 45. Pictures of the work of some of my personal favorites are in the slideshow at the end of the post. Pictured immediately above is artist potter, Stephanie Schorr of Craftsman House. (Please see an earlier Inkwatu post on the Craftsman House–they are a place you want to visit!) In addition to the luscious clay art on display, Stephanie’s real-time demonstration of throwing pots on a wheel engaged people in a way a mere display cannot. So too, the live demonstration of glass blower Brent Earnest (pictured below). Of course, just the radiant smile and presence of Missionary Mary L. Proctor (pictured immediately below) was irresistible to anyone. The same is true of her artwork which captures her personality perfectly.
ARTIST MISSIONARY MARY (missionarymary.com)
There was a concert stage with two days of wall to wall music: Saturday, September 27th, the lineup consisted of Del Suggs, Green Grass Boys, James Peterson, The Porchdogs, Lonely Heroes, Have Gun, Will Travel, The Heavy Pets and Sunday, September 28th, the marathon continued with Katie Grace Helow, Paper Cranes, Rebekah Pulley and the Reluctant Prophets, Lucid Druid, Pickford Sundries, Headlining: Rod MacDonald, and an all artist Beatles Tribute. The quality of the music was so high—and I’m saying that as a musician myself—that I could have listened to an entire evening of some of the groups. I’m impressed with the quality of the local music groups that support this festival.
There was also a Family Stage of performance activities presented by the 4-H Club with kids shows, demonstrations of shell art, butter making, doll making, fiddling, and balloon sculpture, plus hands on drumming and dance, paper making and yoga exhibitions. No one was left out! When you see the Folkfest advertised next year, please make plans to attend.
JUST A COUPLE OF THE MANY FINE ENTERTAINMENT ACTS
DEL SUGGS (left) & GREEN GRASS BOYS (right)
Creative Clay began non-profit operations in 1995 and began a Daily Arts Program that year with a $1,000 start up grant from the Pinellas Park Knights of Columbus. It began Artlink in 1999 which continues “with funding from the Pinellas County Dept. of Cultural Affairs, The Able Trust, Target and Publix Super Market Charities. [with] Start up funding from the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council.”
They started the aforementioned Artworks in 2001 “with a $30,000 grant from The Able Trust, [which] evolved into first arts related supported employment program in the State of Florida”…a “social entrepreneurial venture & strategy for program sustainability.”
In 1999 they began Smart Art “with a grant from the City and County Social Action program” and began a Community Arts Program in 2003. They expanded their mission to Japan in 2003 continued now in over 25 agencies throughout Asia.
These various endeavors, to some extent, continue thanks to Medicaid Waiver funds from the Companion category of APD funding and Vocational Rehabilitation funding from the State of Florida.
Their site states, “New this year, secured with $104,000 annual contract with the Pinellas County School Board. Plans for ongoing funding and expansion through 2012 w/ Federal DOE grant.” Also new is the “Summer Arts Camp, 2009 — Inclusionary K-12 summer arts camp for typically developing children and children with disabilities. Start up grant from Queen’s Court, Rays Foundation & Rotary Club of St. Pete, component of Peace Project.” They have “Start up grant funding pending with Allegany Franciscan Ministries; possible continued funding through Society for Arts In Health Care, SKOLL Foundation, Ford Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts” for their Peace Project, begun in 2008.
All of that, and much more, is detailed on their website, but I felt it important to show the strength of their support in the community by quoting extensively here. The list of sponsors for the Folkfest is equally impressive. This is truly one of the grassroots success stories in St. Petersburg, thanks to the guidance of Grace Anne Alfiero, Executive Director, and Jenny Lee, Assistant Director as well as many, many others who volunteer their time, money, and talents.
GLASS ARTIST BRENT EARNEST
I first learned of Creative Clay from Allen Loyd, a friend and fellow member of the St. Petersburg arts community, when he took me to see pictures done by some of his Creative Clay students on display at the main branch of the St. Petersburg library. Allen, along with many other area artists, teaches as part of the Artlink project at Creative Clay which [website quote] “pairs professional artists from our community with member artists attending Creative Clay’s Cultural Arts Program. The artlink project and many of our exhibits have been recognized with regional, state and national awards such as The Dr. Spelios Award for accessibility from The Able Trust and a prestigious LEAD award from VSA arts of Florida and The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. Both The St. Petersburg Times and Creative Loafing have named artlink the best socially responsive arts exhibit. A film crew from WUSF Channel 16 followed the artlink teams in 2002 and as a result an award winning documentary was produced entitled Creative Hearts. In 2003 and in 2007 Creative Clay staff and artists traveled to Japan to assist and participate in the implementation of the artlink project in over 25 agencies. Now a global arts initiative, artlink continues to be a model for socially responsive arts programming and exhibitions.”
Creative Clay will have its annual fund raising event, New Year’s in November, Friday, November 7, from 7 – 11 p.m. at Fox Hall on the campus of Eckerd College. It will include dinner and entertainment and have original artwork by Creative Clay member artists available for purchase along with a raffle of original artwork by Folkfest St. Petersburg artists. For more information, call Creative Clay at 727-825-0515.
Be sure to read Creative Clay’s blog at creativeclay.org to keep up on news and coming events.
INSIDE CREATIVE CLAY AND JUST A FEW OF THE MANY PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE
Creative Clay YouTube Video
I assembled all the photos in this post, plus a number of others, into a YouTube video with an upbeat, original music track and narration based on the Creative Clay post. I’ve embedded it below. Hope you enjoy it.
if video doesn’t play on your browser,
click here to link to YouTube
Most images link to larger images.
click on larger image for closeup
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I was a stand-in member of James Peterson’s band on 09/27/08. Plenty of photographers were active during this set and I, and on behalf of the band, would love to obtain any pictures of this set. This is especially important since James is now leaving FL for an unspecified retirement. Thanks.