VISITOR CENTER ARTIST CAMP
August 2018

This year's crew of staff, residents, and hosts had a fantastic time at camp!

BUILDING THE KILN SHED

Our Yooper friend and master logger, sawmill operator, and timber-framer, Mel, helped us cut down a few nearby standing-dead trees, which he then milled for us on his own homemade Mac Truck Sawmill!

Then we used this rough cut lumber, along with locally sourced and reclaimed sheet steel, to build a shelter for our big outdoor gas kiln! Jordan designed the shelter, and while we all helped here and there, he built a large part of it himself!

LOCAL CLAY WORKSHOP

Clay was dug, dried, slaked down, sieved twice, and dried to a workable consistency.

Much art was made! We made pots on the wheel, sculptures by hand, and dipped cloth and plant material in clay slip!

Our youngest resident supervised as we built a new rack system around an old wood burning stove, for rainy day clay-drying in the Clay Cathedral

READY, SET, FIRE!

Barrel-firing in the rain...our barrel of pots needed a little jump start as a small lightning storm blew through.

Amy organized and lead all the firings, using an electric kiln, a wood barrel, and mostly, this old electric kiln that we converted to gas. We packed tons of work in this kiln and fired bisqueware, did burn-out firings with feathers and flowers dipped in slip, and performed exciting raku glaze firings with this kiln!

A DAY IN CLAY!

PUBLIC WORKSHOP AT EWEN - TROUT CREEK SCHOOL

The staff and residents put on a free clay workshop for the local kids. We made clay figurines for them to paint with glazes, and processed fresh clay for them to create their own sculptures. Mel and Aileen serenaded us with traditional Finnish folk songs during the workshop.

ARTISTS AT WORK

We had a couple van campers this year, and wonderful variety of independent projects happening around camp.
Artists came to create video and photography projects, design modifications for their camper vans, and to work with Mel on wood bending, organic farming, and sustainable building. Joel built a wood storage rack, Josh fabricated a campfire grill, and we all screen-printed t-shirts together!

Jim Costanzo gave everyone an illuminating talk about artist-activist movements and collectives he has been involved with over the last twenty years.

We toured Mel's Matchwood Sawmill and saw the many projects he's working on, and all the barns, mills, ice houses, outdoor kitchens, and Viking ships he's built!

Linsey lead the kitchen crew in creating delicious meals and keeping a well organized kitchen and pantry. In some of her free time, she worked on spoon-carving.

Neighbor and local woodworker Dick Graham gave the artists a tour of his shop, gave a demo of wood turning on the lathe, helped artists work on projects with the use of his bandsaw, and donated dry firewood scraps for our clay-drying stove.

Jordan lead campers through papier mache costume making, and they put on a performance in the woods, singing songs and reciting poetry inspired by their camp experiences, and playing clay ocarinas made from the local clay!