Get Social – and Potter Around!

Pottery is among the oldest of the creative arts, dating back to an estimated 29,000 BC (making the pottery wheel a recent invention, according to this account).  Much more recently, pottery has been taking off in a big way, with fans like Serena Williams, Brad Pitt and Seth Rogan taking up the hobby.  If you try making pottery you may not meet a celebrity, but chances are you’ll make friends while getting your hands dirty – just like when you were a kid. 

For nearly half a century, Betty Wienrich, a devotee of Orlando’s The Pottery Studio, has carved out her specialty: colorful fish, lovingly created by hand to sell at twice-yearly pottery sales organized by a far flung group of fellow potters.

While Weinrich makes money selling her models, she insists her devotion to the studio is as much for the camaraderie she’s built with other members over the years, and a host of other benefits.

“A lot of us seniors live alone, so this is a great place, filled with loving, creative people all gathered in a very positive environment where you’ll always find great conversation,” she says.

“Every week we do different projects, and I just love to see the seniors blossom here,” says Jason Sugiuchi, Cultural Arts Coordinator at The Pottery Studio, run by the City of Orlando Parks and Recreation Division. He oversees classes for seniors from various neighborhood centers around Orlando. “Not only are our participants working with their hands, but they are also forming friendships, and, in just a few weeks, they get to take something home they can be proud of.”

Indeed, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA) have concluded that participating in art classes, such as painting, sculpting, or drawing, boosts mental engagement, increases physical activity and fosters new relationships and strengthens existing bonds. Their research confirms that seniors’ participation in the arts can improve memory, reduce stress, boost self-esteem, provide opportunities for social connection, and may even lower risk for developing some health problems, including dementia, heart disease and stroke.

The Benefits of Clay

Angie Renee, creative arts director of Rumriver Art Center in Anoka, Minn., sees many benefits for seniors working with clay. “We had a 90-year-old woman who had just lost her husband join and during her first class, she didn’t even have the strength in her hands to make a pinch pot. But each week, she needed less help because she was rebuilding the muscles in her hands, arms and shoulders. And, having something new to focus on gave her life new meaning,” Renee says. “It was pretty magical for me to see.”

Renee has also witnessed seniors with memory issues that seem to undergo a transformation once they feel and begin to work the clay. “It really helps them make the body-brain connection,” she says.

As a teacher at The Pottery Studio since 2015, potter Frances Elder says pottery enables seniors to use their minds in a creative way, not typical in their daily lives. “I love to see the smiles on their faces and the pride they feel when taking their creations home. It’s heartwarming and rewarding,” she adds.

Finding a Pottery Studio

Folks who dabble (or want to) in pottery have many options to pursue their interest.

There’s a completely virtual Museum of Ceramic Art with a searchable global map that lists studios, galleries and shops for pottery and ceramics enthusiasts. Here’s the map to find studios in the US.

Other tips:

• Check www.artsy.net and www.classbento.com
• Research your local community or senior center for pottery classes or whether they provide access (online, for example) to classes.
• Check local art museums, libraries, botanical gardens, recreation and community centers that often offer pottery classes.

There’s even an online option to learn about trends, discover ceramics artists and simply admire bold and beautiful works:  Virtual Clay is an online series hosted by the 92nd Street Y in New Yor City.  Details are here.

So – improve your tactile and hand strength, exercise your creativity, improve your sense of well-being and meet new people in a fun and stress-free hobby?  Sign us up!

Love crafts?  Like to work with your hands?  Show off your creative streak – and your pottery, quilting, knitting, or other projects – with our online Creative Creations group, which meets Tueday evenings.  Learn more and see the schedule here. 

YOUR TURN

Any potters or ceramicists out there? Have you met new people about your hobby? Let us know in the comments!

Photo:   Seniors from Callahan Neighborhood Center being taught by Frances Elder at The Pottery Studio; Photo by Jennifer Juergens Thomas.

 

Jennifer Juergens Thomas has a lifelong interest in how people get together.  As a former AP reporter she covered feature stories and later wrote about conventions from Anaheim to New  Zealand as editor of Meetings and Conventions magazine. She was a public relations consultant for clients like the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives focusing on how and why people need to get together. An Orlando resident, she continues to contribute to Meetings Today magazine among other ventures.