America working

I've just been on a 4 day road trip with my buddy Doc Agel to Seagrove, NC. We enjoyed the 5 star hospitality of Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke. Thanks U2 you are both awesome. Hard to write about the collective energy of Seagrove. Let's start with Star a multi discipline arts studio. Of course my focus was to see the filter pressed wild clays of North Carolina. I have never met such an enthusiastic clay maker as Takuro Shibata. What amazing clay! He is producing a ton of clay a day while the big boys are producing a million lbs a month. Star Clay may well be the  best clay being produced in North America today. I bet you thought your clay was found just below the sod in neatly package plastic bags. Here is a picture of what your clay really starts off looking like.
Star also hosts a lovely gallery, a glass blowing studio, potter's residency, an amazing kiln builder with a electric reduction kiln in the process. Nancy Stumple is the Director and a major visionary in the building of this amazing arts facility in the old digs of a Fruit of the Loom underwear factory. I believe there are 57 people employed at Star. Many of them with arts degrees and they are welders, machinists and clay makers. This is what America looks like when it is working.
 Here is David Stumble leaning on one of his little sugar bowls. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming. I am blessed to be part of the clay community.