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The Silver City Clay Festival 鈥� a week filled with all things dedicated to the medium 鈥� is shaping up Monday, June 15, through Sunday, June 21.

Claude Smith III has been involved with the festival for years. He retired as a ceramics professor at Western New Mexico University after teaching for 33 years.

This year, Smith will be selling at the festival鈥檚 market, which runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 20, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 21. He is also one of the artists in the 鈥淐onvergence鈥� exhibit, showing the teabowl, 鈥淢onsoon Season.鈥� He said teabowls are small pieces that double as canvases for painting.

鈥淭o see the entire landscape that鈥檚 been created, one needs to hold it in his hands and rotate it so that you can take in the entire scene,鈥� Smith said.

鈥淐onvergence鈥� is one of several exhibitions throughout the festival. It acts as a counterpoint to the three-person show, 鈥淒ivergence,鈥� which features works by artists Penelope Van Grinsven, Bradley Klem and Stephanie Seguin, who juried 鈥淐onvergence.鈥� 

Lizzie Slegeir, program coordinator, said the three artists attended grad school together. They wanted the two exhibits to explore the differences in clay conception and how, despite shared beginnings, their creations aren鈥檛 the same.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e all taken their ceramics in different paths stylistically, and so in their workshop, and in their artist talks, and in the juried show, they鈥檙e really trying to explore that,鈥� Slegeir said.

The festival, she said, explores how one art medium can take many forms.

鈥淲e have a really interesting community here in New Mexico in the clay community, because we have a lot of very traditional pottery techniques, we also have a lot of contemporary ceramic techniques,鈥� Slegeir said.

Anne Neuenschwander is another artist participating in 鈥淐onvergence鈥� and selling at the market. This is her second year with the festival, and she said being juried is a big moment for her.

Her piece 鈥淎riadne鈥檚 Thread鈥� shows the Greek myth of Ariadne鈥檚 journey through the labyrinth and represents Neuenschwander鈥檚 journey growing up in Crete.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the red thread that weaves through life,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 submitted two pieces that were very important to me, that meant more to me than the others, and this was one of them,鈥� Neuenschwander said.

As someone who has participated in the event for years, Smith has seen it grow and change. He said it is one of the more exciting annual events in Silver City.

He said any art, not just clay, opens up the world, and he wants to pass down ideals of self-expression to younger generations.

鈥淎t the same time, exploring the opportunities that are available to us that lead to a rewarding lifestyle,鈥� Smith said.

Slegeir said the Silver City Clay Festival is meant for all ages.

鈥淲e are really hoping to have an event that鈥檚 very much for everyone that appeals to artists, it appeals to makers, it appeals to teachers,鈥� Slegeir said, 鈥渂ut also 鈥� if you鈥檝e never done any art before, that you could come in and have a good time.鈥�

Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.