Creston’s community of ceramic artists is inviting the public to roll up their sleeves and get messy at the second annual Clay Fest.
The event, organized and funded by Creston Valley Mudders, will take place at Eversfield Ceramics (1522 Airport Road) on July 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The idea for Clay Fest came to owner David Barnes a few years ago, inspired by the growing popularity of similar festivals in the U.K. and U.S. Originally from England, he wanted to bring a taste of that culture to his new small-town home too.
The goal of the event is to connect like-minded artists and educate everyone about the interesting processes behind ceramic art –leading to endless possibilities.
“It allows people to see the vast array of things that you can do with clay. You can make mugs, but there's one million and one other things you can do as well,” said Barnes.
“Even a simple thing like a mug, let alone a sculpture, people take everything at face value and never really consider the process, how long it takes, and the technical challenges involved in getting to the end product.”
Clay Fest will feature market stalls, food and refreshments, hands-on workshops, and live demos from 10 Kootenay potters, showcasing techniques like wheel throwing, raku firing, hand building, and embossing. Featured artists include Lisa Ostendorf, Heath Carra (Shpriken of Sphrixieland), and Barnes himself.
Young creatives can explore clay at the kids’ table, where they’ll get to try hand building, stamping, carving, and even wheel throwing.
Whether you're an experienced artist or just curious about clay, all are welcome. Organizers invite attendees to “bring an open mind and get ready to get your hands dirty.”
For more details and the full schedule, visit crestonclayfest.com.
